
Book ■ cS/<cf. 



DAN AN DEIEG, 



AGUS 



TIOINA GHUILL 

(DARGO AND GAUL). 



DlN AN DE1EG, 



AGUS 



TIOMA GHUILL 

(DARGO AND GAUL) : 

f foe |j0*ms, 

FROM DR. SMITH'S COLLECTION, ENTITLED THE 

SEAN DANA. 



NEWLY TRANSLATED, 

WITH A 

%zbmh (Sadie fet/Jlate, mtb Inirobwctitott, 
C. V S* JERRAM, MA., 

FORMERLY SCHOLAR OF TRTN. COLL., OXON. 



EDINBURGH: 

MACLACHLAN & STEWART. 

LONDON : SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, AND CO, 



MDCCCLXXIV. 

nit 






EDINBURGH 

PRINTED BY LORIMER AND GILLIES, 

CLYDE STREET. 






CONTENTS. 



PAGE 

Preface, . . . . . . . . . vii 

Introduction, . . . xvii 

Lay op Dargo, 1 

Gaul, . ... .7 43 

Notes, . . . .86 



PREFACE. 



In translating the following poems, I have endeavoured 
to be as nearly literal as is consistent with the idiomatic 
differences between the two languages, and with a due 
regard to rhythm. My plan has been, first to ascertain 
the exact rendering of each line in the Gaelic, and then 
to turn the same into euphonious English ; so that those 
who are unacquainted with the former language may get 
a tolerably correct idea of the form, as well as the matter, 
of the professed original. I say "professed," because 
the genuineness of the Gaelic text of these Ossianic 
collections is still disputed by many, and it is no part 
of my purpose to take part in the controversy ; nor do 
I wish to be understood as expressing an opinion either 
way, though I have thought it well to state, for the in- 
formation of the general reader, the main arguments 
which have been adduced on both sides with regard to 
Macpherson's Ossian. Should any critics see fit to main- 
tain that Dr. Smith himself composed the whole or any 
considerable portion of the Gaelic, which he has given 
as the equivalent of his translation, I will not contradict 
them ; should they, however, assert that he did so after 
or from the said translation, I will be bold enough to 



Vlll PREFACE. 

say that a careful comparison of the two has led me to 
an opposite conclusion. The specimens I have quoted 
from Dr. Smith's paraphrase, if read side by side with 
the literal rendering, will enable even an English stu- 
dent to form an opinion on this point; otherwise it 
would be obviously unreasonable for any one ignorant of 
Gaelic to pretend to judge — as much so, I presume, as 
for a man who knew no Greek to maintain that Pope's 
Iliad and Odyssey were the originals from which a 
modern scholar had composed the poems ascribed to 
Homer. Assuming then the Gaelic text of the Sean 
Bhna (by whomsoever written) to be the original of the 
English version, I find in it a composition of unequal 
merit certainly, but containing enough of really good 
poetry and of interesting matter to make it worth pre- 
senting to the public in a more faithful translation than 
that of Dr. Smith, the demerits of which will, I trust, 
be clear from the citations I shall give in my Introduc- 
tion. As to the text itself, I felt quite unequal to the 
task of reducing the orthography to any modern stan- 
dard, except in the correction of a few manifest errors ; 
but latterly, by the courtesy of Mr. Donald Macpherson, 
of the Advocates' Library in Edinburgh, I have been 
enabled to get this done for me, and I am glad to take 
this opportunity of thanking him for his kind services, 
without which this portion of my work must necessarily 
have been imperfect. 



PKEFACE. IX 

This edition is intended, first for the English reader, 
who, though ignorant of the original language, may still 
find interest in a translation, and in the matter con- 
tained in the Introduction and Notes ; secondly for 
students of Gaelic — now, as I believe, an increasing 
class, in consequence of the attention lately directed to 
Celtic literature. For their benefit I have inserted a few 
grammatical observations, such as I could myself have 
wished to have in a compendious form when first learn- 
ing the language ; and these, with the aid of a good 
dictionary and grammar, will, I imagine, be found enough 
for all ordinary purposes. Lastly, I would fain hope 
that even Gaelic scholars, who need no such help, may 
yet condescend to regard my book with some interest, as 
an Englishman's attempt to do something to forward the 
study of their ancient language and literature ; and to 
such I respectfully commend the following pages, trust- 
ing that they will appreciate my intention, and excuse 
errors, from which. I cannot presume to think that this 
work is entirely free, after all that I have done to avoid 
them. And here I desire to express my sincere thanks 
to the Rev. Dr. M'Lauchlan for his kindness in solving 
many of my difficulties ; though, as he has never seen 
my MS. entire, but only a selected list of passages which 
I submitted to him for explanation, he is in no way 
answerable for the general accuracy of my translation or 
remarks. 



X PREFACE. 

Although, as I have said above, I disclaim any in- 
tention of pronouncing upon the " Ossianic" controversy, 
I think it will not be out of place to state clearly the 
arguments on both sides, for the information of those 
who may not have studied the question ; leaving it open 
to every reader to form his own conclusion. The ob- 
jections to the authenticity of Macpherson's Ossian I 
have taken from various sources, but a very fair resume 
of them will be found in an article, entitled " Ossian 
Redivivus," in the Times of October 14, 1869. The 
arguments on the other side are chiefly from Dr. Clerk's 
Introduction to his edition of Ossian, 1870. It is ob- 
jected — 

lstly. That though there exist in the Highlands many 
old Gaelic ballads, which may be identified with por- 
tions of Macpberson's Ossian, yet that nothing has ever 
been found at all like his professed Gaelic original, 
except Dr. Smith's Sean Dana, and a fragment of a 
poem called Mordubh, both of which, appeared towards 
the end of the last century, first in English and after- 
wards in Gaelic. 

2ndly. That the Gaelic given by Macpherson is cer- 
tainly modern, and therefore cannot belong to the age 
he claims for it. 

3rdly. That the internal peculiarities of his Ossian, 
especially as seen in the large number of similes and 
constant allusions to ghosts and stormy weather, mark 



PREFACE. XI 

an essential difference from the authenticated ballads, 
which mainly consist of direct narrative and simple 
descriptions, and have very few similes ; and that all the 
above-mentioned characteristics of the English Ossian 
do occur in known productions of Macpherson, and 
notably in the Highlander, a poem written a few years 
before the publication of Fingal. 

4thly. That much of the mythology in his book is 
not Gaelic, but Norse ; e.g., the myth of Loda or Odin, 
of which the story of Cruth-Loduinn, in Carrictkura, is 
a well-known instance. To this is added the fact that 
one of his earlier pieces is professedly a translation from 
the Norse, and is highly " Ossianic " in style. 

Lastly. That (putting all these facts together) the 
probable conclusion is that Macpherson did really collect 
a. mass of genuine materials, arranged them, and added 
matter of his own ; that he then published a paraphrase, 
which he called a " translation," and that either before 
or after he made the said translation, he concocted a 
Gaelic equivalent, of which some lines are very likely 
genuine, but of which no one connected passage can be 
found in any authenticated Gaelic ballad. 

To these objections the following facts are asserted by 
way of reply : — 

1. A comparison of the Ossianic ballads with Mac- 
pherson's Ossian suggests the conclusion that his was 
the original, and these were copies and amplifications of 



Xll PREFACE. 

it, since they exhibit many signs of modernness, and are 
extremely verbose in style. Also many portions of 
Macpherson's Ossian were well known in the Highlands 
at an earlier date, and are found in independent collec- 
tions, e.g., Cuchullin's Chariot, Ossian's Courtship of 
Evirallin, the Battle of Lora, Darthula, and many 
others, all which were rehearsed to Dr. Macpherson of 
Sleat in 1763. Malvina's Dream, and part of Ossian's 
answer to her, is found in Gillies' collection (1786), 
with only slight verbal differences from the narrative of 
the same in Macpherson's Croma. All these indepen- 
dent collections date from 1763 onwards, and precede 
the publication of the Gaelic Ossian (1807) ; and among 
them are some poems which appear in Macpherson's 
translation, but of which the Gaelic was never published 
by him. 

2. Dr. Clerk admits that the " mere vocables " of the 
Gaelic text of Ossian prove nothing as to its date ; 
because many old MSS. show very slight signs of differ- 
ence from modern Gaelic, while some, on the other 
hand (as the Booh of Deer), differ very greatly. But 
the syntax, he thinks, is certainly ancient, and he notes 
the seventh Duan of Temora as showing especial marks of 
age, hard consonants being used for soft, and the rule of 
caol ri caol agus leaihan ri leaihan being often dis- 
regarded. 

3. The similes of Ossian are easy and natural, being 



PREFACE. Xlll 

suggested by the features of the country in which he 
lived, as any one acquainted with a Highland landscape 
in all its varieties will readily acknowledge. Appari- 
tions of ghosts, etc., have always formed an integral part 
of the belief of the Scottish people, and were specially 
regarded as able to give warning of impending calami- 
ties, in which character they mostly appear in Ossian. 
Moreover, there are many such similes and allusions in 
the ballads referred to (whatever may be said to the 
contrary), though it is admitted that a larger proportion 
of them exists in Macpherson's Ossian than is to be 
found in the ballads. As to the Highlander, it is not 
surprising that its language and imagery should resemble 
that of the English Ossian, seeing that both were the 
work of the same man within a few years of each other, 
and that his mind must have been imbued with ideas 
derived from the Gaelic ballads he was then collecting. 

4. It is not denied that the Celtic and Norse 
mythology have much in common, or even that the 
former may have borrowed from the' latter ; the close 
relations between Scotland and Norway from the 
earliest times (represented in the Ossianic poems under 
the names of Morven and Lochlinn) being sufficient to 
account for this. The resemblance between the 
Northern Tale and the English Ossian is, for the reason 
alleged in the preceding paragraph, no more than might 
be expected. 



XIV PREFACE. 

5. To suppose that Macpherson composed the poems 
in English, and then made the equivalent, is in fact to 
charge man^ respectable witnesses with falsehood, since 
they declare that they did help him to translate the 
Gaelic MSS. Also his own imperfect knowledge of the 
language makes it impossible for him to have composed 
the Gaelic, and the very blemishes in the poems show 
that he took them down (often from ignorant reciters), 
and made no great attempt at arrangement. 

Finally, those who know both languages will pro- 
nounce the Gaelic to be the original, and it is clearly 
absurd for any one who is ignorant of Gaelic to pretend 
to judge. It is therefore concluded that Macpherson, 
having first collected genuine MSS. (as is admitted by 
the other side), made from these his translation, which 
is very paraphrastic and often inaccurate, and published 
this first ; and that the Gaelic text of 1807 is a faithful 
transcript of the materials he collected in MSS., which 
remained unpublished during his life, but were sent to 
his executor, John Mackenzie of the Temple, who 
handed them over to the Highland Society of London, 
by whom they were finally published eleven years after 
Macpherson's death. 

The above is a brief but fair summary of the argu- 
ments on both sides of this celebrated controversy. It 
is unnecessary to repeat earlier objections, such as those 
of Dr. Johnson, Mr. Pinkerton, or Mr. Laing, all which 



PREFACE. XV 

admit of easy refutation. The reader will see for him- 
self where lies the strength and where the weakness in 
the answers given to tbe impugners of the authenticity 
of these poems. What the supporters of Macpherson have 
mainly to do is to disprove the statement that the 
known Gaelic ballads differ materially in style and 
character, as to the alleged particulars, from the Gaelic 
equivalent of his Ossian] or (failing this), to fall back 
upon the assumption, no longer capable of proof or dis- 
proof, that there once existed in his possession an unique 
MS. of Ossian, now for ever lost, but of which his own 
Gaelic text is a true copy. 

The bearing of all this upon Dr. Smith's Sean Dana 
and other similar collections, is as follows : — The 
upholders of Macpherson's Ossian may argue tbat here 
we have other independent collections of the same kind, 
all purporting to be the genuine productions of ancient 
bards, and that therefore the other side have to face the 
responsibility of including Dr. Smith and other respect- 
able men in the same sweeping charge of falsehood and 
perjury. The reply would be, that there are in fact 
only two other specimens of the peculiar style of Mac- 
pher son's Ossian — the Sean Dana, and the fragment of 
Mdrdubh in Gillies' collection (see above) ; that these 
were also published in English first and in Gaelic after- 
wards (therein showing a suspicious similarity to Mac- 
pherson's method) ; and that it is quite possible that 



XVI PREFACE. 

Dr. Smith may have imitated the conduct of his pre- 
decessor, being a sufficiently good Gaelic scholar to have 
composed the text for himself, either before or after his 
English version was made. At any rate I am here only 
transferring to the Sean Dana assertions which have 
actually been made with regard to the more famous 
collection, and I desire to leave the decision of the 
whole matter to the judgment of an intelligent public. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The two following poems, Dan an Deirg and Tiomna 
Ghuill, stand first in a collection of ancient Gaelic poetry- 
made by Dr. Smith, minister of Kilbrandon, in Argyllshire, 
and published in 1787, a translation having previously ap- 
peared in 1730. This book is commonly known by the title 
of Sean Dana, or Ancient Poems. Dr. Smith's own account 
is that, being struck with the beauty of certain specimens 
which had escaped the diligence of Macpherson, he began to 
collect for his own amusement, and was induced to continue 
his search, and get together as many editions as possible, 
which his residence in Argyllshire enabled him to do. That, 
having compared these, he arranged the several incidents 
and episodes in what seemed to him to be the right consecu- 
tive order, rejecting such parts as were evidently spurious. 
His translation is avowedly rather a paraphrase than a 
literal rendering ; and he acknowledges that " a few lines are 
sometimes thrown in to join episodes together, and to prevent 
hiatus;" such additions being chiefly supplied from "the 
sgeulachds, or traditional tales, which always accompany and 
explain the old Gaelic poems, and often remain entire when 
the poems are reduced to fragments." He thus professes to 
account for the wide difference, which no one can fail to 
notice, between the form of his translation and that of the 
Gaelic original ; but he observes further on that " some might 
be better pleased to have [the poems] in the bold and irregu- 
lar manner in which they have been wont to hear them, which 
has a natural aptness to please the mind and to afford 
satisfaction." 

B 



XV111 INTRODUCTION. 

With this last remark most readers will agree, and will 
consequently regret that Dr. Smith has thought it necessary 
to mar the simplicity of his professed original by so verbose 
and paraphrastic a rendering as that which he has given. 
From the specimens which we shall presently subjoin, it will 
be seen that he has in fact confounded the two very distinct 
offices of a translator and an expositor, by introducing into 
the translation matter which ought to have been placed 
apart in notes and appendices. Many of what he calls 
instances of " hiatus * are a necessary part of the style of 
these early heroic lays, in which the connecting links are 
often left for the imagination to fill ; and to supply these in 
words is simply to turn poetry into plain prose. Again, the 
variant readings, resulting from a comparison of different 
editions, Dr. Smith has translated continuously with his 
selected text, although in the Gaelic edition he has very pro- 
perly put them in footnotes ; and as many of these readings 
are obviously alternative, they naturally fail, according to his 
arrangement of them, to produce the impression of a con- 
sistent whole. As to the sgeulachds, his own description of 
them is enough to show that they were never intended to 
form part of the text of the poems, however valuable may be 
the information they give in explaining the various incidents 
and allusions. There are also a few passages in which he 
appears to have misunderstood the Gaelic, or else to have 
had a different text before him from that which is given in 
his published edition. The truth of the above remarks may 
easily be determined by any English reader who will take 
the trouble to compare the following examples of Dr. Smith's 
rendering with the literal translation of the lines indicated in 
the poems. 

Dargo, Part I., 1. 9, foil. San la ud, etc. " Comhal sat 
on that rock, where now the deer graze upon his tomb. The 
mark of his bed are three gray stones and a leafless oak ; they 



INTRODUCTION. XIX 

are mantled over with the moss of years." All this last sen- 
tence comes out of the single word aosda, which agrees with 
daraig only. 

L. 47, foil. A Dheirg sin, etc. " Dargo climbed the mast 
to look for Morven, but Morven he saw no more. The thong 
broke in his hand, and the waves with all their foam leapt 
over his red wandering hair. The fury of the blast drove our 
sails, and we lost sight of the chief We lost sight of the chief, 
and bade the ghosts of his fathers convey him to his place of 
rest" Here, besides the additions (shown in the italicised 
portions), we have a highly poetical apostrophe turned into 
a prosaic narrative. " Thou, Dargo, yonder upon the mast, 
etc., Morven thou shalt never see more," etc. ; all which is 
rendered as if it were a matter-of-fact statement made by the 
narrator, instead of an address by Cual to the supposed 
ghost of his lost comrade. 

L. 74, foil. Tha Treunmor, etc. (compared with the vari- 
ant reading, Cha 'n eagal, etc.) " Often, Dargo, did'st thou 
contend with a whole host, and still thy ghost maintains the 
unequal combat. But Trenmor shall soon come, etc." Here 
there is a mixture of the two readings. That in the text 
says, " Trenmor shall come with his sword," etc. ; that in the 
note speaks of Dargo's valour in fighting with overwhelming- 
odds against him ; and these are alternative, not consecutive 
sentences. 

Sometimes, by way of change, Dr. Smith omits or con- 
denses a passage, so that many salient points of the original 
are quite lost. Thus, the four lines, 94-97, are not trans- 
lated ; and the beautiful simile in 11. 170-171 (" Like spectre- 
music," etc.) is replaced by the bare statement, " The bards 
praised her beauty." 

LI. 184, 185. Bha uileann Dheirg, etc. "But the eye of 
Dargo is bent downwards as he sits in the silence of his grief ; 
his head rests on his arm over the dark edge of his father's 



XX INTRODUCTION. 

shield. Cual observes the mournful chief; he observes his 
tears, dim-wandering through the bossy plain of his shield, 
and he turns his eye on TJllin, that he may gladden his soul 
with the song." Here, as before, the words in italics have 
no equivalent in the Gaelic, and CuaPs sudden appeal to the 
bard is turned into a direct statement of a fact. 

After 1. 203, Fhuaras gun chail an bg-bhean, are inserted 
the words, " Her blood was mixed with the oozy foam ; " a 
remarkably unpleasing picture, and one of which there is no 
hint in the professed original. All the above instances occur 
in the first part of Bar go, and are only a few out of many 
that might be quoted. We will conclude this part of our 
subject by mentioning one or two passages of similar 
character from the Gaul. In 1. 112 the exclamation, A 
mhic Morna, slan gum pill thu ! becomes, under Dr. Smith's 
hands, " Safe be thy course, rider of the .foamy deep ; when, 
my love, shall I again behold thee ? " In 1. 360 the tender 
offer of Cri-sollis is rendered, " The breasts of Cri-sollis will 
supply her love. I feel them full within, and thou, my love, 
must drink. For my sake thou must live, and not fall here 
asleep. 7 '' Our last instance shall be from 1. 390 of the same 
poem. Gaul is there saying that the traveller shall behold 
his tomb, and exclaim, " See where the son of Morni died ! " 
to which his wife responds, u I also would die with my love." 
This is given in the following form : — "(The stranger will 
say) 'Here is all that remains of the mighty;'" and Evir- 
coma is made to answer, with a sort of play upon Gaul's 
words, " And here too shall be all that remains of the fair ; 
for I will sleep," etc. Could anything be in worse taste than 
this ? In adopting this peculiar style, Dr. Smith was doubt- 
less influenced by the older paraphrase of Macpherson, which, 
at the time it appeared, was unique of its kind ; but he has 
much exaggerated the defects of that version, and his own 
rendering is by no means so readable. 



INTRODUCTION. XXI 

The names of the other poems in this collection are : — 
Dan na Du-thuinn, Diarmad, Dan Glainne Mhiiirne, Caih- 
Luine, Cathula, Cath Mhanuis, Trathuil, Dearg mac Driti 
'bheil, Conn mac an Deirg, Losga Taura, Cath-Lamha, and 
Bas Airt. Of these the Dargo has been deservedly cele- 
brated, and is the subject of an ancient distich, which runs 
thus : — 

" Gach dan gu Dan an Deirg, 
'S gach laoidh gu Laoidh 'n Amadain Mh5ir ;" 
implying that each of the two poems was the best of its class. 
The full title of the latter is, " Laoidh an Amadain Mhoir 's 
a gaothair bhain," being the Lament of Umadh over his 
hound Gorban, in the Manos (Cath-Mhanuis). The Gaul is 
also noted, both for its intrinsic merits, and because of the 
celebrity of the hero. The concluding lines (523 to the end) 
acquired a special notoriety, and are literally translated in 
the Edinburgh Review (1805) in an article on the Eeport of 
the Highland Society upon the poems of Ossian. The 
authorship of the Dan an Deirg is ascribed to Ullin, who 
professes to tell the story. The period, at any rate, suits his 
age better than that of Ossian, who (as Dr. Smith observes) 
must have been very young, if he were even born, at this 
time. Ullin is always mentioned by his successor in terms 
of high respect and veneration. 

We append a few observations upon the taibhse, or ghosts, 
both on account of their forming so important an element in 
the machinery of these poems, and also because the number 
of such allusions, contrasted with the alleged rarity of them 
in genuine Gaelic ballads, is put forward as a strong argument 
by the impugners of the authenticity of Macpherson's Ossian 
(See Preface). Whatever may be the value of this objection 
as a matter of fact, it would at any rate seem a priori natural 
that a people dwelling amid scenery so constantly enveloped 
in cloud and mist should make them a frequent subject of 



XX11 INTRODUCTION. 

reference, especially when we remember that a superstitious 
imagination led them to invest these cloud-forms with the 
shape of their departed friends. Add to this the belief that 
the spirits of the dead continued to pursue, in airy guise, the 
occupations of their former life, and to take a lively interest 
in the fortunes of those whom they had left behind, and we 
have the information necessary for understanding most of 
the mythological allusions in the " Ossianic " poems, of which 
the two specimens in this volume afford abundant illustrations. 
A few only of the most prominent need here be specified. 

Dargo i. 3 ; n. 192. The ghost of Crimina hovers around 
her late husband in his solitude ; so also Gaul (1. 535) is 
represented as u in his cloud," listening to the warbling of 
the birds, and the songs of the maidens. 

Dargo n. 32. The ghost of Morglan descends with a 
wound in his breast and a shadowy deer by his side. 

Gaul 290. A phantom sailor is imagined to be pursuing 
his calling as in life. 

Gaul 13. The ghosts give warning of Gaul's fate, but 
are mistaken for hostile spectres, and driven away by the 
king. 

Dargo i. 55. The hostile ghosts of Lochlinn are threatened 
with defeat by the hand of Trenmor, if they venture to 
attack Dargo. 

Gaul 319. The spectres are enjoined to convey to Fingal 
the news of Gaul's desolate condition. 

Dargo n. 121. Crimina prays the ghosts to descend and 
welcome the spirit of Dargo into their company, and further 
(1. 171), to "catch her own dying breath." 

The remaining instances are of a similar character, and 
illustrate similar beliefs ; these the reader may easily discover 
and apply in their respective connections. 



DAN AN DEIRG. 



ARGUMENT. 

Cual, the father of Fingal, sailing towards Innisfail, is over- 
taken by a storm, and puts in for shelter at a rocky island. 
Here he meets with Dargo, one of his own warriors, who had 
been lost on a former voyage, and given up for dead. Dargo 
relates his adventures, and learns the death of his beloved wife, 
Crimora ; and to console him, Ullin is bidden to sing the Lay of 
Culda (Dan Chaoilte). At early dawn the host of Lochlinn 
appears in sight, bound on an hostile expedition against Innis- 
fail ; but by the aid of the Fingalians the enemy are routed, and 
Armor, the chief hero of Lochlinn, is slain. The lament over 
the dead warrior (Tuireadh Armhoir) terminates the first part of 
the poem. 

The night is spent in feasting in the halls of Innisfail. During 
the banquet, Crimina, the wife of Armor, is discovered without, 
prostrate on the ground, lamenting her fallen lord. This intro- 
duces the episode of Morglan and Minona. Crimina is then 
treated by Cual with great kindness, and an offer is made to her 
of returning to her own land. Refusing this, she remains with 
the Fingalians, and gives her hand to Dargo in marriage. 
Sometime afterwards, Conan, one of the least reputable of the 
host, proposes to test her love for her new spouse. A boar 
having been slain, Dargo's cloak is steeped in its blood, and the 
chieftain himself is carried home as if dead. Crimina, believing 
such to be really the case, gives vent to her sorrow in a pathetic 
elegy (Caoidh Chrimine), and falls lifeless by Dargo's side. She 
is buried upon the shore beside his first wife, Crimora, and Dargo 
remains in solitude, disconsolate. 



[2] 

DAN AN DEIEG. 

A CHEUD CHUID. 

Feuch Dearg ; s an doire 'n a aoiiar, 
'Se'g eisdeachd ri caoirean na coilT ; 
Feuch taibhse Clnimin' air cheb-traghad ! 
'S na feidh ; n an tamh air Sgivrr-eikr ; 
5 An sealgair na sleibh clia taogliail. 
Tha Dearg a's a ghaotkair brbnach ; 
'S tha mise le d ? sgeula fo nihulad, 
Tha mo dhebir a' sruthadh an comhnaidh. 

? S an la ud bha Cumhal nam buadh 
1 Le chebl a's le shluagh ah' an leirg ; 
(Ge h-iosal fo chluainein an fheidh 
An diugh an laoch treun aim am feirg, 
A leaba fo chbs nan clach, 
Am fasgadh na daraig aosda) — 
15 Bha laoich ri ? n sleaghan an taic, 

An suilean glaiste 's an aghaidh aomte. 
Mbr-ghaisg an righ 's Innis-faile, 
Tra sguab iad an arach le cheile, 
Sheiim am Bard ; — tra chunnas barca, 
20 'S i sebladh gn traigh 'n a nial-eideadh. 

Cumhal. — " 'S i long Innis-faile tha aim ; 
'S e laim a bhuail am beum-sgeith' ud.* 

* Al. — " *S a Crann-tara suas lis na speuraibh.'" 



[3] 

THE LAY OF DARGG. 

FIKST PART. 

See Dargo in the woods alone, 
As he listens to the murmur of the forest ; 
See Criminal ghost upon the misty shore ! 
The deer are at rest on the Hill of roes ; 
5 The hunter frequents not the mountains. 
Dargo and his hound are sad ; 
I also am in grief at thy story, 
My tears are ever flowing. 

On that day was Cual the glorious 
10 With music and with his host upon the plain ; 
(Though low beneath the pasture of the deer 
To-day lies the hero, once terrible in wrath, 
His bed under the hollow of the stone, 
In the shelter of the aged oak) — 
15 His warriors leaned upon their shields, 

Their eyes fast closed, their faces bending forwards. 
Of the prowess of the king and Innisfail, 
As they swept the battle-field together, 
Sang the Bard ; — when a bark was seen, 
20 Sailing cloud-mantled towards the shore. 

Cual. — " It is the ship of Innisfail ; 
The blow of sword upon shield hath sounded the 
alarm of battle.* 
* Al. — " The Cranntara is lifted to the skies." 



1 DAN AN DEIKG. 

Grad-leumaibh thar barra nan tonn, 
Gu fonn an righ tlia 'n a eiginn !" 
25 'S bu gharbh an doinionn a deas, 
A' gleachd r' ar siuil bhreid-gheal, 
Tra thaom an oidhche 'n ar comhdhail 
Air cuan dobhaidh nan tonn beucach. 

Cumhal. — " Ciod am fath bhi 'g udal caain ? 
30 A's eilean fuar nan geodlia crom, 

A 'sgaoileadh a sgiatli ? n ar coineamh, 

Gu'r dion o dhoininn na h- oidhche. 

Tha e crom mar bhogh' air ghleus ; 

Tha e seimh mar uchd mo ghaoil. 
35 Caitheamaid an oidhche -n a sgeith, 

Ionad eibhinn nan aisling caoin I" 
'S chualas a' chomhachag a creig; 

'S guth brbin 'g a freagairt a h-uaimh — 

" Guth Dheirg," arsa Cumhal, "'se th' ann ! 
40 A chaill sinn ; s a' chuan onfhach, 

Tra phill sinn o Lochlann nan crann, 

'S gach doinionn gu teann 'g ar leireadh. 

Thog tuinn an cinn romh neoil ; 

Dh' fhas sleibhte-ceb air lear ; 
45 'S a* mhuir sholach mholach stua'ghlas, 

A' luasgadh o noir gu 'n ear — 

' A Dheirg sin am barra nan crann, 

Is fann an iall ris an d'earb thu ; 

Mbr-bheinn cha 'n fhaic thu gu brath ! 
50 Tha d'fhalt anrach air tuinn 'g a luasgadh ;* 
* Al. — " Dh'fholuich tonna baite uainn thu." 



THE LAY OF DARGO. i 

Bound quickly o'er the crests of the waves, 
To the land of the king who is in trouble ! " 
25 Boisterous was the storm from the south, 
As it wrestled with our white spreading sails, 
When the night poured down to meet us 
On the stormy sea of roaring billows. 

Cual. — " Why toss we upon the deep % 
30 Yonder is a cool islet with a winding bay, 

Spreading its wings to welcome us, 

As a refuge from the tempest of the night. 

It is bent like a bow strung for action; 

It is calm as the bosom of my love. 
35 Let us pass the night in its shelter, 

A pleasant place for gentle dreams !" 
The owl was heard from its rock ; 

A voice of woe answered it from a cave — 

" 'Tis Dargo's voice," said Cual, 
40 " Whom we lost on the raging sea, 

When returning from woody Lochlinn, 

Every storm closely pursuing us. 

The waves lifted their crests to the clouds ; 

Mountains of mist rose on the face of the deep ; 
45 Stormy was the sea with its dark green billows, 

Tossing to and fro from east to west — 

6 Thou Dargo, yonder upon the mast's high top, 

Weak is the thong to which thou trustest ; 

Morven shalt thou see no more for ever ! 
50 Thy streaming hair is tossing on the waves ;* 
* Al. — "The waves hid thy corse from us." 



) DAN AN DEIRG. 

Is mor do bheud, a dhoinionn ! 

Togaibh, a thaibhse, leibh e ! ' 

Ach cha chual iad ar guth " (arsa Cumhal), 

" 's dubhach, a laoich, do chbmhnaidh ! 
55 O thaibhse bho Lochlann nan crann, 

A lean sinn gu teann thar chuanta, 

Ma 's sibh tha 'g a choimhead an sas, 

Ge Honor, cha tair sibh buaidh air. 

Thig Treunmor le dhoininn ro-ghairg, 
60 Gu 'r ruagadh 'n a fheirg mar fhoghnan min y 

A's marcaichidh Dearg air iomall a sgeith, 

Le greadhnas gu clanna nan sion. 

Cluinnear nuallan do bheoil, 

TTlainn, le seoid an aigh ; 
65 O 's aithne dhoibh uile d' eigheach ; 

Innis gu'n tig Treunmor gun dail." 



TJlann. — " Beannachd do d' anam a's buaidh, 
Ma 's carraig no uaimh do chbmhnaidh ! 

70 O ! 's deacair leinn fhad 's tha thu uainn, 
Aig taibhse Lochlann 's a' chuan dhbbhaidh ! 
Ma 's e cath taibhse nan nial, ■ 
No 'n iallach chruaidh tha 'g ad theanndach, 
Tha Treunmor a' teachd le lainn thana,* 

75 'S le sgeith alluidh g' am fuadach. 
Mar chrion-dhuilleach an daraich, 
Air a chrathadh le sranna-ghaoith fasaich, 

* Al. — " Cha 'n eagal nach cum thu riu comhrag, 
'S a liuthad fear rn.br a ruaig thu." 



THE LAY OF DARGO. / 

Great is the mischief thou hast wrought, O storm ! 

Bear him, ye ghosts, along with you !' 

But they heard not our cry " (said Cual), 

" Gloomy, hero, is thy dwelling ! 
55 O ghosts of woody Lochlinn, 

Who closely pursued us over the deep, 

If it be ye that hold him in bondage, 

Many though ye be, you shall not prevail. 

Trenmor shall come with tempest fierce and strong, 
60 To chase you in fury like the fine thistle-down; 

On the skirt of his wings shall Dargo ride 

With joy to the children of the storm. 

The clear tones of thy voice shall be heard, 

Ullin, by the heroes exulting ; 
65 Well know they the sound of thy call ; 

Tell them that Trenmor comes without delay." 



Ullin. — " Blessings upon thy soul and triumph, 
Whether rock or cave be thy dwelling ! 

70 hard is our lot, while thou art far away 
With Lochlinn's ghosts upon the stormy sea ! 
Whether thou battiest with the spectres of the 
Or cruel bonds afflict thee sore, [clouds, 

Trenmor is coming with his airy blade, * 

75 And with his terrible shield to banish them. 
Like the withered leaves of the oak, 
When it shakes in the whirlwind of the desert, 

* Al. — " No fear that thou should'st yield to them in battle, 
So many mighty men hast thou put to flight." 



O DAN AN DEIRG. 

Buaigidh e 'n taibhse gu luath ; — 
Beannachd a's buaidh leat an trasa ! " * 

80 Dearg.— " ; S gur ioghnadh learn fein do raite, 
Bhaird Chumhail ; ; s nach b' e abhaist 
Laoich do thighe riamh gu'm fagadh 
lad an caraid an uair gabhaidh." 

Dh' aithnich Gealchas guth an Deirg ; 

85 'S mar bu ghnath leis air an leirg, 

Binn e miolaran, } s thug leum ghabhaidh, 
Le mbr aoibhneas gliios na traghad. 
Mar sliaigheid o ghlacaibh an iughair, 
Bba chasan a' siubhal nam barra-thonn ; 

90 'Sb' aite leis na mac na h-eilde 

Dearg, ; s e leum ri ucbd a bhraghad. 
J S chunnacas sodan na deise 
Le solus bristeach nan reultan, 
Mac-samhuil coinneamb nan cairdean, 

95 An tra tharlas doibh an cein-thir. 

'S ni 'm bu chuimhne le Dearg ar loingeas, 
Aig ro-mheud aighir 's a shblais ; 
Mur tugadb Gealchas air laimh e 
Ghios na traghad siar 'n ar cbmhdhail. 

100 Cumhal. — " 'S am beb dhut ; a Dheirg, a chaill- 
An cuan salach nan garbh-thonn ] [eadh 

'S ioghnadh do thearnadh o'n bhas, 
A shluig le ganraich a suas thu ! " 

* Al. — " Fois ann a d' uaimh dhuit an trasa ! " 



THE LAY OF DARGO. \) 

The ghosts he shall swiftly pursue ; — 
Blessing and glory be upon thee now I"* 

80 Dargo. — " I marvel in my soul at thy speech, 
Bard of Cual ; sure, 'twas never the custom 
Of the warriors of thy house to forsake 
Their friends in the hour of peril." 
Galchas knew the voice of Dargo ; 

85 And, as his manner was upon the field, 

He raised the shout of joy, anclgdth desperate leap, 

Exulting he gained the shorelr 

As an arrow from the grasp of the bow, 

His step skimmed the crest of the waves ; 

90 More joyous than a young roe was Dargo, 
As he leapt to his breast and neck. 
The gladness of the pair was seen 
By the starlight's twinkling beams ; 
Such as is the embracing of friends, 

95 "When they meet in a strange land. 
Dargo thoiight not of our ship 
From excess of joy and gladness ; 
But Galchas led him by the hand 
Down towards the shore to meet us. 

100 Cual. — " Art alive, O Dargo, who wast lost 
In the raging sea of boisterous waves ? 
Wondrous is thy escape from death's jaws, 
"Which rose tumultuous to swallow thee down ! " 

* Al. — " Peace be to thee now in thy cave !" 



10 DAN AN DEIRG. 

Dearg. — " Le tulgadh tuinn' air mo luasgadh, 
1 05 Bha mis' an oidhch' f Iiuar sin gu latha ; 

Seachd gealaich ('s gach aon mar bhliadhna) 

Le 'n traghadh 's le 'n lionadh chaidh tharam. 

Chaith mi ; n la ri manran ciuil, 

Ag eisdeachd nuallain thonn a 's ian ; 
110 'San oidhch' an tiamh-chbmhradh thaibhse, 

'G eala' 'm f oill air eoin na traghad. 

'S neo-ghrad 's an aite so ghrian, 

Is mall-cbeumach triall na gealaich ; 

A righ, a Chumhail, cha b' ioghnadh 
115 Ge b' fhaide gach mios na bliadhna ! — 

Ach ciod so aobhar ur brbin 1 

Chi mi ur deoir a' sruthadh ; 

An e mo sgeul truaghs' a dhuisg iad ? 

Is cruaidh learn gur cuis is dubhaich — 
120 Nach beb Cri-mora mo ghaoil? 

Og-bhean chaoin, tha mise dubhach, 

Bho chunnas thu sebladh nan nial, 

A dh'iadh mu sholus na h-oidhche, 

Tra dh'amhairc i nuas romh ; n fhrois 
125 Air gniiis fhoisnich na doimhne. 

Chunnas i air chaochladh dreach, 

'S a ciabha clearc a' sileadh dheur ; 

Dh' aithnich mi cruth mo ghaoil,* 

'S an t-aobhar o'n chuan mu'n d'£irich. 
* * x * ■ 

130 Nach truagh leat mis', a Chri-mora ? 

* Al. — "Bha 'n aileachd na gruaidh mar sgriodan caochain, 
Tra soraoileas e 'm feadan feuraich." 



THE LAY OF DARGO. 1 1 

Dargo. — " Tossed upon the rolling billows 
105 From chill night to daylight I remained ; 
Thus seven months (each one like a year) 
With the tide's ebb and flow passed over me. 
My days I wore on with humming of songs, 
Listening to the waves' roar and the sea-fowls' scream; 
110 And by night, 'mid the dreary converse of the ghosts, 
I stole in pursuit of the birds of the shore. 
Tardy in his course is this sun, 
Slow-moving is the pace of the moon ; 

Cual, sure 'tis no wonder 

115 Each month was longer than a year to me ! — 
But what mean these looks of sorrow 1 

1 see your tears streaming down ; 
Is it my sad tale that moves you 1 

Hard, methinks, and mournful is my lot — 
120 Is Crimora, my love, no more? 

I am sad, O my gentle bride, 

Since I saw thee floating on the clouds, 

Which encircled the lamp of night, 

As she looked downward through the shower 
125 Upon the tranquil face of the deep. 

I saw her, but her form was changed ; 

Her radiant locks were dripping with the brine. 

I knew the form of my love,* 

And the reason why she rose from the waves. 
■* * # * 

130 Dost thou not pity me, Crimora'? 

* Al. — " Tracks were on her cheeks, like the channels of the rills 
When they spread through the green hollows of the glen.'' 

C 



12 DAN AN DEIRG. 

'M fag thu am bnrachd an so mi ? — 

Chuairtich bigh-thaibhs' i le'n ceblan, 

Mar ghaoith bhrbnaich le 'n tuiteadh duilleach,* 

'S ni 'n cluinnteadh gaoir eoin no tuinne, 
1 35 'N fhad 's a rinn an cebian fuireach. 

< Thig leinn, a Chri-mora, gun bhrbn, 

Gu talla nan bigheana fial 

Far am beil Suilmhalda le Treunmor, 

A ? sealg feidh dhoilleir nan nial ! ' 
140 Chualas a h-osna leoin, 

'S i sealltuinn le brbn 'n a deigh ; 

Sguir an cebl, — an taibhse threig, 

? S dh'fhag mise learn fein deurach. 

Amhuil tonn air traigh leis fein, t 
145 'S am maraich ag eisdeachd o bhruth, 

Bha guth mo gliaoil 's i 'g am threigsinn ; 

Mar aisling sealgair 's an 6igh 'g a dhusgadh. 

Chuir mise 'n an d&gh mo ghlaodh ; 

Faoin mar uisge ri h-aonach, 
150 Mar srnudan faoin an coillidh fhais, 

Dh'fhag iad air sgeir mi am aonar. 

O'n bg-mhadainn gu dall-oidhcbe 

Mo chaoidh o sin cha do sguir. 

C'uin' a chi mi ris thu, Chri-mora ? 
15'5 Ri m' bheb bidh mise fo 6islean ; 

* Al. — "Mar chuilc ri crbnan an gleann Caothan, 
Tra sgaoileas am fonn air sruthaibh fas, 
'S a dh'fhasas gu ciuin ceum na duibhre." 

f Al. — "ro dhoininn an cein." 



THE LAY OF DARGO. 13 

Wilt thou leave me thus forlorn ? — [her, 

The maiden ghosts with their songs surrounded 
Like the wailing wind amid falling leaves/* [cry, 
No sound was heard of waves nor of the sea-bird's 

135 While that weird music lingered on. 

' Come with us, Crimora — cease thy sadness — 
To the halls of the generous maidens, 
Where dwells Sulvalda with Trenmor, 
Chasing the shadowy deer of the clouds !' 

140 The sigh of her distress was heard, 

As she cast a sorrowing glance behind her ; 
The strain ceased ; the ghosts vanished away, 
And left me in my anguish all alone. 
Like the wave on a desolate shore,f 

1 45 When listens the mariner from his cave, 
Was the voice of my departing love ; 
As the hunter's dream when the cry of hounds 
I also sent after her my cry; [awakes him. 

All in vain, like the torrent o'er the heath, 

150 Or as the lonely dove in the desolate wood, 
They left me on the rock forlorn. 
From early morn even to dark night 
Since then my mourning hath not ceased. 
When shall I see thee again, Crimora 1 

155 All my life is numbed with sorrow; 

* A I. — c ' Like the reeds that rustle in Cona's vale, 

When spreads the sound along the desert streams, 
And darkness with soft pace steals on." 

+ Al. — "Like the wave of the distant storm." 



14 DAN AN DEIRG. 

Tha m' anam a* snamh an ceo. 
Innsibh an dbigh an d'eug i !" 

Cumhal. — "An sgeula truagh tra fliuair do 

Tri laithean dh'i 'n a tosd gun ghean ; [bhean, 
160 Air a cheathramh dh'iarr i 'n traigh ; — 

Fhuaras i fein an ait an f hir. 

Mar shneachda 's an fhireach f huar 

Mar ear air cuan na Lanna, 

Fhuaras i le bighean a gaoil, 
165 A theirinn o chaoehain nan sliabh, 

Le 'm min-bhas a* siabadh an deur, 

'S le 'n osnaich a' seideadh an ciabh. 

Le lie a's gorm-fhbid na traghad, 

Tbog sinn aite-ebmhnaidh do 'n mhnaoi ; 
170 B' iomad bigh 's an la sin dubhach, 

'3 bu tiamhaidh 'g a cumlia gach aon , 

Amhuil cebl tannais ag eirigh 

Air cuile na Leige gu mall. 

Ar learn fein gu'm b' aoibhinn a cliu, 
175 B'e mo run e bhos a's thall. 

Ach ciod so 'n solus an Innis-fai], 

chrann-taraidh an f huathais ] 

Togaibh ur siuil ; tairnibh ur raimli ; 

Grad-ruithibb ar bare tliar cbuanta !"* 
180 Sheid gaotb dhileas ar beann, 

'S cba V f hann ar buillean 'g a cbmbnadh ; 

Sinn a' bualadh mullach nan tonn 

'S gach sonn a's a shu.il ri cbmhraig. 

* Al. — " Grad-ruithibh gu traigh, is buaidh leibh ! " 



THE LAY OF DARGO. 15 

My soul is floating in a mist of woe. 
Tell me how died my love ! " 

Cual. — "When thy wife heard the tale of woe, 

Three days passed over her in silent gloom ; 
1 60 On the fourth she sought the shore ; — 

In the place of her lord was she found. 

Like snow on the chill highland moor, 

Like a swan on Lanno's wave, 

She was found by the maidens of her love, 
165 As they descended along the mountain rills, 

With soft hands wiping away the tears, 

And fanning their tresses with sighs. 

With flagstone and green turf of the shore 

There raised they thy wife's last dwelling-place ; 
170 Many maidens that day were in mourning, 

Sad was each heart in lamenting her ; 

Like spectre-music slow rising 

From the reeds of Lego's mere. 

So methinks my own fame shall be glorious ! 
175 Such here and yonder is my desire. 

But what means yon light from Innisfail, 

From the terrible Cranntara shining 1 

Hoist the sails ; ply the oar ; 

Swiftly speed our bark across the sea !"* 
180 A favouring breeze from our mountains blew ; 

No feeble strokes were ours to the rescue, 

As we smote the high crests of the waves, 

And each warrior glares eager for the fray. 

* Al. — "Haste towards the shore, and victory be yours ! " 



16 DAN AN DEIRG. 

Bha uileaim Dheirg air slios a sgelth', 
185 'Se sruthadh dheur a sios r' a taobh. 

Cumhal. — " Chi mi Dearg gu tiamhaidh tos- 
Ulainn nan tend, tog sprochd an laoicli !" [dach; 



DAN CHAOILTE. 

Hi linn Threunmhoir nan sgiath, 

Ruaig Caoilte am fiadh mn Eite ; 
190 Thuit leis daimli chabrach nan cnoc, 

; S cho-fhreagair gach sloe d'a 6ighe. 

Chunnaic Min-bhenl a gaol, 

'S le enrach faoin chaidh 'n a dhail ; 

Sheid osna choimheach gun bhaigb, 
195 'S chuir i druim an aird air a barca. 

Chualas le Caoilte a glaodh — 

" A ghaoil, a ghaoil, dean mo chbmhnadh ! " 

Ach thuirling dalla-bhrat na h-oidhche, 

'S dh'fhailnich a caoidh-chbmhradh. 
200 Mar fbuaim srnthain an cein, 

Rainig a h-eigh gu chluasan ; 

'S air madainn an onfba na traghad. 

Fhuaras gun cbail an bg-bhean. 

Thog e 'n cois tragbad a leac, 
205 Aig srutban brbin nan glas-gheugan ; 

Is ebl do'n t-sealgair an t-aite, 

'S mbr a bbaigb ris an teas na greine. 

'S bu chian do Chaoilte ri brbn, 

Feadb an lb an coillteacb Eite ; 



THE LAY OF DARGO. 17 

Dargo's elbow leaned upon his shield, 
185 While his tears streamed sidelong clown. 

Cual. — "I see Dargo all silent and sad; [soul !" 
Ullin of the strings, raise thou the hero's drooping 



LAY OF CULDA. 

In the days of Trenmor of the shields 

Culda pursued the deer on Etna's shore ; [fell, 
190 By his hand the antlered bucks of the mountain 

The hollow dells re-echoed his cry. 

Minvela espied her love, 

And in light skiff flew to meet him. 

Cruel and pitiless blew the blast, 
195 And the bark keel-upward turned. 

Her cry was heard by Culda — 

" My love, my love, lend me aid ! " 

But the dark pall of night descended, 

And fainter grew the voice of her wailing. 
200 Like the echo of distant streams, 

Her sad cry reached his ears ; 

And at morn on the storm-lashed shore 

All lifeless was found the young bride. 

Near the shore he raised the stone, 
205 By murmuring rills of the leafy glade. 

Well the hunter knows the spot, 

In the noontide heat he loves it well. 

Long time did Culda mourn, 

All day long in Etna's groves ; 



18 DAN AN DEIRG. 

210 'S-fad na h-oidhche chluinnteadh a leon, 
Chuireadh e air eoin an uisge deisinn. 
Acli bhuail Treunmor beum-sgeithe, 
Le laochraidh bu treun Caoilte ; 
Uigh air n-uigh phill a ghean, 

215 Chual e chliu, a's lean e 'n t-sealg. 

Dearg. — " Learn 's cuimhn'," arsa Dearg, " an 

Mar aisling chaoin a chaidh seach, [laoch, 

Tra stiuir e gu h-bg mi aig Eite, 

'S a fhliuch a dheur-shuil an leac. 
220 ' Ciod filth do thuiridh, a Chaoilte 1 

C'uim' am beil d' aos-chiabha snidheach'?' 

Freagradh do sid bheireadh Caoilte, 

' Tha mo gliaol fo'n fhoid so 'n a laidhe.' 

— A Chaoilte snaidh dhomhsa bogha ! — 
225 ' 'S ann fodha so tha mo ghaol-sa. 

O dean an t-aite so thaoghal, 

Mar roghainn o ruith an aonaich !' 

'S na dh'iarras, a Chaoilte, thugas ; 

Do chumha bu trie ann am bran. 
230 Na'm biodh mo chliu-sa cho mairionn, 

A's mi le m'leannan 's a' cheb ud i" 

Cumhal. — "Is dearbh learn gu'm bi sin mair- 
Arsa Cumhal bu chaoin labhairt ; [ionn," 

" Ach cb sid le 'n sgiathan gabhaidh 
235 Toirt a sholuis o'n cheud fhaire % 

Sloigh Lochlann, ma's maith mo bheachd, 
A' cuartach' Innis-faile le 'm feachd, 



THE LAY OF DARGO. 19 

210 And all night was heard his distress, 
Till the sea-fowl grew weary of his cry. 

But Trenmor smote the shield for battle, 
And mighty was Culda amid the warrior host ; 
By degrees his spirits returned, — [chase. 

215 He heard the sound of his fame, and pursued the 

Dargo. — " I remember," said Dargo, "the hero, 
As a pleasant dream that is past and gone, 
When he led my youthful steps by Etha's side, 
Ajid his tearful eyes moistened the stone. 

220 ' Why mournest thou thus, Culda 1 
Why are thy aged locks wet with tears V 
To this would Culda reply, 
< Under this turf rests my love/ 
— Culda, shape me a bow ! — 

225 ' Beneath (he cried) my own love doth lie, 
O let this spot be thy haunt \ 
Here after the chase choose thy rest !' 
What thou askedst, Culda, was granted ; 
Thy sad tale was often in my song. 

230 May my own fame be lasting as thine, 

When I am with my love in yon clouds !" 

Cual. — " Sure I am it shall be everlasting," 
Said Cual in soothing tones \ — 
" But who are they yonder with terrible shields, 
235 Reflecting the light of the early dawn % 
Methinks 'tis the people of Lochlinn, 
Surrounding Innisfail with their host, 



20 DAN AN DEIRG. 

'S an righ bho ard-uinneig stuadhaich 

Ag amharc oirnn a chairdean buadhach. 
240 Chi e sinn romh dheoir, mar cheb, 

Ach thuit na deoir, as chi e 'n sebl ; 

Tha aighear a' bruchdadh 'n a shu.il ; — 

' Tha Cumhal am fagus le shiuil ! ' 

Feuch Lochlann a nuas 'n ar cbmhdhail, — 
245 ? S Armor rompa mar dhamli crbice ; 

Air traigh Eiriim a lamh (ge bras) 

Mise cUV fhuasgail o tlieann ghlais. 

Caireadh gach aon air a leis 

A laim ghlas, gu traigh 's e leumnaich ; 
250 Cuimhnicheadh gach aon a thapadh, 

Is mbr-ghaisge laoich na Feinne. 

Sgaoil, a Dheirg, do sgiath leathan ! 

Tarruing, a Chaoirill, do gheal-chlaidheamh ! 

Crath, a Chonaill, do chraosnach, 
255 A's seinn, Ulainn, dan cath-Baoisge !" 

Choinnich sinn Lochlann, 's cha b'agh dhuinn. 

Sheas iad romhainn gu daingean laidir, 

Mar an darag air uchd Mheall-mhoir, 

Nach lub air ailghios na garbh-ghaoith. 
260 Chunnaic Innis-fail sinn 'g ar sarach', 

Bhruchd iad gun dail gu'r cbmhnadh. 

Sgapadh an sin Lochlann o cheile ; 

Shearg gach geug a bha beb dheth. 

Choinnich Armor 's righ Innis-faile, 
265 'S ma choinnich bu ghabhaidh an iomairt. 

Sleagh an righ chaidh 'n uchd a mhbr-fhir, 



THE LAY OF DARGO. 21 

And the king from his cloudy window 
Upon us his brave friends looks down. 

240 Through his tears as a mist he beholds us, 
But his tears fall, and he sees our sail ; 
Gladness bursts from his eyes \ — 
' Cual (he cries) with his ships draws near/ 
See ! Lochlinn comes down to meet us ; 

245 Before them goes Armor like a mountain deer, 
Whose hands on Erin's shore (rash the deed!) 
Myself once loosed from the tight thongs that bound 
Let each warrior now gird upon him [them. 

His blue-gleaming steel, and leap to shore ; 

250 Let each one remember his prowess 
And the mighty deeds of Fingal's sons. 
Spread, Dargo, thy broad shield ! 
Draw, Carrill, thy glittering sword ! 
Brandish, Connal, aloft thy spear, 

255 And sound, Ullin, the joyous battle-strain !" 

We met Lochlinn, nor was it joy to us — 
They stood before us in firm ranks and strong, 
Even as the oak on Malmor's height, 
That bends not to the blast's imperious will. 

260 Innisfail beheld our distress, 

And swift rushed forth to the rescue. 
Then was Lochlinn scattered abroad ; 
Each living branch of theirs was withered. 
Armor met the chief of Innisfail, 

265 And dire was the conflict of their meeting. 
The king's spear pierced the hero's breast, 



22 DAN AN DEIRG. 

Cha 'n fhoghnadh a sgiath d'a tiughad. 
Ghuil Lochlann a's Innis-fail, 
A's ghuil na bha lath'r de'n Fheinn' ; 
270 A's sheinn am bard gu ro-thuirseacli, 
Tra chunn' e gun deb cheann-feadhna. 

TUIRJSADH ARMHOIR. 

Bha d' airde mar dharaig 's a' ghleann, 

Do luas mar iolair nam beann, gun gheilt ; 

Do spionnadh mar osann Loda 'n a fheirg, 
275 'S do lann mar cheo Leige gun leigheas. 

O ! 's moch do thuras gu d' neoil, 

Is bg leinn, a laoich, a thuit thu ! 

Co dh'innseas do 'n aosda nach beb thu, 

No co do d' og-mhnaoi bheir furtachd ? 
280 Chi mi d' athair fo eire aois', 

Gu faoin an dochas ri d'thigheachd ; 

A lamh air a shleagh 's i air chrith, 

'S a cheann liath lorn, mar chritheach 's an t-sin. 

Meallaidh gach neul a dhall-shuil, 
285 'S e 'n duil gu'm faic e do bharca. 

Thig deb grein' air aghaidh aosda, 

'S a ghlaodh ri bigridh — " Chi mi 'm bata !" 

Seallaidh a chlann a mach air lear, 

Chi iad an ceathach a' sebladh. 
290 Crathaidh esan a cheann liath ; 

Tha osna tiamhaidh 's a ghniiis brbnach. 

Chi mi Crimin', a's fiamh-ghair' oirr', 

A' saoilsinn bhi air traigh 'g ad fhaicinn. 

A bilidh 'n a suain a' cur failt' ort, 



THE LAY OF DARGO. 23 

Nor did his shield suffice to aid him. 
Then wept Lochlinn and Innisfail, 
And wept the remnant of Fingal's sons ; 
270 And the bard sang a dirge of mighty wailing, 
When he saw the chieftain lifeless. 

LAMENT OVER ARMOR. 

Tall wert thou as the oaks of the valley, 
Dauntless thy speed, like the mountain eagle ; 
Thy strength as the blast of Loda in his fury, 
275 Deadly thy blade as the mist of Lego's mere. 

early is thy flight to the clouds ! 

Too soon for us, O hero ! art thou fallen. 

Who shall tell thy aged sire thou art no more, 

Or who to thy young wife bring comfort ? 
280 I see thy father bowed with the weight of years, 

All in vain expecting thy coming. 

His trembling hand leans upon the spear, 

His gray bare head is like an aspen in the blast. 

Each cloud deceives his dim eye, 
285 As he watches expectant for thy ship. 

A beam of joy plays on his aged face, 

And he cries to the young ones — " I see the boat ! 

The children look out upon the sea ; 

Nought but the sailing mist do they behold. 
290 He shakes his gray head \ 

Mournful is his sigh, and his face is sad. 

1 see Crimina ; a smile is on her face, 
As she thinks to see thee upon the shore. 
Her lips in sleep oft salute thee, 



24 DAN AN DEIRG. 

295 'S i le gairdeinean ait ? g ad ghlacadh. 

Ocli ! bg-bhean, 's faoin do bhruadar ; 

An t-uasal gu brath cha 'n f haic thu ! 

Fad o dhachaidh thuit do ghradh, 

An Innis-fail fo smal tha mhaise. 
300 Duisgidh tus', a Chrimine, 

'S chi thu gu'n robh d' aisling mealltach, 

Ach c'uin' a dhuisgeas esan o shuain, 

No bhios cadal na h-uaighe criochnaicht' 1 

Fuaim ghaothar no buillean sgiath 
305 Cha chluinnear 'n a chriadh-thigh caol ; 

'S a dh' aindeoin gach iomairt a's seilg, 

Caidlidh 's an leirg an laoch. 

A shil na leirg', na feithibh an treun ! 

Guth seimh na maidne cha chluinn e; 
310 'S a shil nan sleagh, na h-earbaibh a chbmhnadh ! 

Cha dean £ighe-cbmhraig a dhusgadh. 
Beannachd air anam an laoich ! 

Bu gharg fraoch ri dol 's gach greis. 

Ard-righ Loi'eann, ceann an t-sluaigh, 
315 'S iomad ruaig a chuireadh leis ! 
[Bha d' airde, etc.] 

Chriochnaich sinn a chaol-chbmhnaidh, 
'S dh'imich a shloigh thar tuinn. 
Bha fuaim an bran tiamhaidh tinn, 
'S bu mhuladach air linne an croinn. 
320 B' amhuil am brbn a's fead an aonaich, 
An cuiseig f haoin nan gleanntai f asa, 
Tra sheideas an osag an ula nan tuama, 
? S an oidhche mu 'n cuairt doibh samhach. 



THE LAY OF DARGO. 25 

295 And with glad arms she seems to clasp thee. 

Ah ! young wife, vain is thy dream ; 

Thy valiant one shalt thou see no more ! 

Far from his home hath fallen thy love, 

'Neath the dust in Innisfail his beauty lies. 
300 Soon thou shalt awake, O Crimina, 

And shalt see 'twas a fond deluding dream. 

But when shall he wake from his slumbers, 

Or the sleep of the tomb be ended ? 

No cry of hounds nor smiting of the shield 
305 Shall be heard in his narrow house of clay ; [him, 

And though each conflict and chase rage around 

The warrior still shall sleep beneath the plain. 
Children of the field, wait not for your hero ! 

The morning's gentle voice he shall not hear. 
310 Sons of the spear, trust not to him for aid ! 

The sound of the battle-cry shall wake him never. 
Blessing be upon the hero's soul ! 

Fierce in each hour of combat was his wrath. 

King of Loighean, chief of the host, 
315 Many vanquished foes hath he put to flight ! 
[Tall wert thou, etc.] 

We finished his narrow dwelling, 
And his people departed over the waves. 
The strain of their song was plaintive and sad, 
And heavy were their nodding masts upon the sea. 
320 Their dirge was as the sighing of winds o'er the 
Among the slender reeds of the lonely glen, [heath, 
"When blows the breeze amid the grass of the 
And the night all around is still. [tomb, 



26 DAN AN DEIRG. 



AN DARA CUID. 

Mar ghath soluis do m' anam fein, 
Tha sgeula na h-aimsir a dh'fhalbh ; 
Mar ghathan soluis air aonach aoibhinn, 
'S gach ceum mu'n cuairt doibh dorcha. 
5 Ach 's dlii an aoiblmeas do bhrbn, 
A's dubhar a' cheb 'g an ruagadh ; 
Ni e greim orr' air sleibhtean ard, 
'S bidh na gathanna-graidh air am fuadach. 
Is amliuil, mar sholus romh neul, 
10 Gu m' anam thig sgeul an Deirg ; 
Mac-samliuil an cath an Fhir-mhbir, 
M' anam mar shebl 's an doininn fheirgicli. 

An talla stua-ghlas Innis-fail, 
Chaith sinne mar b' abhaist an oidhche. 

1 5 Chaidh 'n t-slige 's an t-bran mu'n cuairt, 
'S cha bu dual duinn bhi gun aoidheachd. 
Glaodhan brbin uair seach uair 
Thainig gu'r cluais air sgiath na gaoithe ; 
Dh'iarr Ulann a's Suil-mhaith mu'n cuairt, 

20 Chunnas Crimin' aig uaigh an laoich. 
'N uair a thuit a h- Armor 's an truicl, 
Thuit ise fo dhubhar geige : 
Ach shnaig i'san oidhche gus uaigh. 
Rinn i leaba gun luadh ri eirigh. 



THE LAY OF DAEGO. 27 



SECOND PART. 

As a beam of light to my soul, 
Are the tales of bygone years ; 
Even as beams of light upon the gladdened heath, 
When the track all around is dark. 
5 But joy is a neighbour of sorrow, 

And the darkness of the mist pursues them. 
On the mountain tops they may not long abide, 
Soon the lovely beams are chased away. 
Thus as a light through the clouds, 
10 Came the tale of Dargo to my soul. 

Even thus amid the fray of Termor's fight [storm. 
My soul was as a sail that braves the furious 

In the gray-columned hall of Innisfail 

We spent, as we were used, the night. 
L5 The shell and the song went round ; 

Never was it our wont to lack good cheer. 

When lo ! a voice of wailing 

On the wings of the fitful breeze reached our ears. 

TJllin and Sulma searched around ; — 
20 Upon her hero's grave was Crimina seen ; 

Eor when in the fray brave Armor fell, 

She also sank beneath the bough's dark shade ; 

And by night she crept to the tomb. 

There made she her bed, as never more to rise. 

D 



28 DAN AN DEIRG. 

25 Thog siim leinn i gu foil, 

Le 'r n-osna-bhrbin a' freagairt d' a caoidh ; 

A's thugas i gu teach Innis-fail ; — 

Bu tiamhadh dh'f hag sid an oidhche ! 
Ghlac Ulann fa dheireadh chruit-chiu.il, 
30 'S gu ciuin farasda foil, 

Dh'iarr e, feadh torman gach teud, 

Ceol eug-samhuil le mheoir. 



SGEULA MHORGHLAIN AS MHIN ONN. 

Co so tuirling o'n cheb, 
'S a' dortadh a leoin air a' ghaoith ? 

35 ! 's domhainn a' chreuchd tha 'n a chliabh, 
'S is doilleir am fiadh ud r' a thaobh ! 
Sid taibhse Mhbrghlain na mais', 
Triath Shli'-ghlais nan ioma sruth ; 
Thainig e gu Mbr-bheinn le ghaol, 

40 Nighean Shbra bu chaoine cruth. 
Thog esan ri ; r 7 n aonach gun bhaigh, 
A's Min'onn dh'fhag e 'n a tigh. 
Thuirling dall-cheb le oidhche nan nial, 
Dh'eigh na sruthai, shian na taibhse. 

45 Thug an 6g-bhean siiil ris an t-sliabh, 
A's chunnacas le fiadh romh'n cheb ; 
Tharruing i 'n t-sreang le rogha beachd ; — 
Ehuaras an gath an uchd an big ! 
Chairich sinn 's an tulaich an laoch, 

50 Le gath a's cuibhne 'n a chaol-tigh ;* 

* A 1. — Le gaothar ea-trom gu fiadhach ceb. 



THE LAY OF DARGO. 29 

25 Gently we lifted her up, 

With sighs of woe and sad responsive cry ; 

And we bore her to the house of Innisfail ; — 

Mournfully that night wore on and passed away ! 
At last Ullin seized his harp, 
30 And in soft and solemn tones 

He sought in each murmuring string 

With his fingers a matchless strain. 



TALE OF MORGLAN AND MINONA. 

Who is this that descends from the clouds, 
And pours upon the wind his piteous tale 1 

35 Ah ! deep is the wound within his breast, 
And dim is yonder deer beside him ! 
Tis the ghost of beauteous Morglan, 
Lord of Sliglas of many streams ; 
To Morven came he with his love, 

40 Sora's daughter of delicate form. 
All heedless to the moor he hied, 
And left Minona in the house alone. 
The blinding mist with night came down, 
Loud roared the torrents, shrieked the ghosts. 

4:5 The maiden raised to the hill her eyes. 
Through the mist a deer she espied ; 
She drew with her best aim the string ; — 
In her young lord's breast the shaft was found ! 
We laid the warrior beneath the green knoll, 

50 With spear and deer-horn in his narrow house ;* 
* Al. — With his nimble hound to chase the shadowy deer. 



30 DAN AN DEIKG. 

B'aill le Min'onn laidh' f a f hbid, 
Ach phill i gu brbnach dhachaidh. 
Bu trom a tuirse 's bu chian ; 
Ach sruth bhliadhnai ghlan uaip' e ; 
55 'S tha i nis subhach le bighean Shbra, 
Mur cluinntear a bron air uairibh. 
[Co so tuirling, etc.] 

Ar learn gu'n do shoillsich an la;* 
Arsa Cumhal na h-abhaist feil, 
" Gabh, TJlainn, do dheagh long, 
60 'S thoir an bigb gu fonn fein \ 

'S gu'n dealradh i ris mar a' ghealach, 
Tra sbeallas i farasd' o neulaibh ! " 

Grimine. — "Mile beannachd orts', a Chumh- 
ail, 
Fhir a cbuidicbeadh gach feumacb ! 

65 Ach ciod a dheanams' am thir fein, 
Far an dean gach ni mo leireadh % 
Gach doire, gach coire, ? s gach eas, 
Bheir am chuimhne cneas mo ghraidh ; 
B' fhearr a bhi le d' bighean fein, 

70 's mbr am feile 's am baigh ! 

An sin an bigridh nach b' f hiu learn 

Cha 'n fhaic mo shiiilean na 's mo, 

'S ma their aon diu — i Gait am beil d' Armor?' 

Cha chluinn mi gu brath an cbmhradh!" 

* Al. — Air Innis-fail 'n a chiar-dhubh eideadh. 



THE LAY OF DARGO. 31 

Beneath that turf Minona fain would lie, 
Yet she returned in sadness homewards. 
Heavy was her grief and long ; 
But the stream of years purged it at length away ; 
55 And now with Sora's maidens she rejoices, 
Though at whiles her lament is heard. 
[Who is this, etc.] 

At the first dawning light of day* 
Thus outspake the generous Cual, 
" Take, Ullin, thy trusty ship, 
60 And bring to her own land the maiden, 
Once more to be glad, even as the moon, 
When with calm face she beams through the clouds ! " 

Chimin A. — " A thousand blessings on thy head, 
Cual, 

Thou that ever helpest in time of need ! 
65 But what should I do in my own land, 

Where all things would but cause me pain ? 

Each grove, each dell, each waterfall, 

Of my love's dear form would remind me ; 

Far better with thine own maids to dwell, 
70 So generous and kind are ye all ! 

Then the youths whom I once set at nought 

My eyes shall behold never more ; 

And if one exclaims — 'Where is thy Armor?' 

Their speech shall I never hear ! " 

* Al. — Upon the dark-shrouded land of Innisfail. 



32 DAN AN DEIRG. 

75 'S thug sinne leinn Crimine, 

'S thug sinn a has mhin do Dhearg. 
Ach ge b'fhuranach ar n-bighean, 
Bha i brbnach leo air uairibh. 

* * * * 

Chuala gach easan a leon, 

80 Bu ghearr a lb, 's bu dubh a sgeula.* 

; S la dhuinn a' fiadhach na leana, 
Chuimas loingeas breid-gheal crannach. 
Shaoileas gu b' e Lochlann a dh'eirich, 
A thoirt Crimm' air eiginn thairis. 

85 Sin 'n uair thuirt Conan crion, 

" 'S coma learn strith gun fhios c'arson ! 
Feuchaibh an toiseach le suim 
Ciod an run am beil dhuinn a' bhean. 
Deargamaid falluinn an fhir 

90 Am fuil tuirc 's an fhireach ard ; 
Giulaineamaid e ris an riochd mairbh, 
'S chi sibhse ma.'s fior a gradh." 

Dh' eisd sinne, 's V aithreach leinn, 
Comhairle Chonain a' mhi-aigh. 

95 Leag sinn an tore nimhe borb 
Anns a' choillidh dlu. do 'n traigh. 
" Cumaibh riums' e," deir Conan crion ; 
" 'S d'a dhith, mo lamh, gum bi'n ceann 
Chbmhdaich sinn Dearg leis an fhuil, 
100 'S thog sinn air ar muin an laoch ; 
A righ bu tiamhaidh trom ar cebl, 

* A I. — Le aithris bidh deoir air teudan. 



THE LAY OF DARGO. 33 

75 So we took to ourselves Crimina, 

To Dargo we gave her tender hand. 

But though courteous were our maids and kind, 

Ofttimes among them would she mourn. 
* * * * 

Each little waterfall heard the voice of her woe ; 
80 Brief was her day, and sad her tale.* 

One day as we chased the deer upon the plain, 

A masted ship with white sails was seen. 

'Twas thought that Lochlinn had arisen, 

To bear Crimina by force away. 
85 Then spake Conan of little soul, 

" To fight without reason nought care I ! 

First, mark ye with all heed 

What regard toward us the maiden hath. 

Let us dye the mantle of her spouse [moor ; 

90 In the red blood of the boar upon the highland 

Let us carry him home as dead, 

And yourselves shall see if her love be true." 
We listened, and we were sorry 

At the counsel of Conan inglorious. 
95 The boar of fierce venom laid we low 

In the dense woods near the shore. 

" Hold him for me," said mean-hearted Conan ; 

" By my right hand his head must fall !" 

We sprinkled Dargo with the blood, 
100 On our backs the warrior we raised ; [chief, 

With the burden of sad songs we mourned our 

* Al, — Tears are on my harp-strings, as I tell the tale. 



34 DAN AN DEIRG. 

'G- a ghiulan an cbmhdhail a ghaoil. 
Ruith Conan le bian an tuirc 
(Bha e titheach chum uilc a ghnath) — 
105 " Le m' lainn thuit an tore a lot d' fhear, 
" 'ST uair bhrist a shleagh air cheum fas ! " 

Chuala Crimin' an sgeul ; 
A's chunnaic i 'n cruth eig a Dearg ; 
Dh' f has i mar mheall eigh 's an f huachd, 

110 Air Mora nan cruaidh learg. 
Tamul dh'i mar sin 'n a tamh, 
Ghlac i'na laimh inneal-ciuil. 
Mheath i gach cridh'; ach cha d'fhuiling 
Sinn do Dhearg e charach' air uilinn. 

115 Mar bhinn-ghuth eala 'n guin-bais, 
No mar cheblan chaich mu'n cuairt d' i, 
A' gairm an taibhse bho lochan nan nial, 
G' a giulan air sgiathan gaoithe ; 
B' amhuil sin caoidh Chrimine, 

120 'S a Dearg 'n a shineadh dlu dh'i. 

CAOIDH CHRIMINE. 

O thaibhse, bho airde nan nial 
Cromaibh a dh' iarraidh ur Deirg ! 
A's thigibh, bigheau an Trem, o'r talla, 
Le ur-f halluinn leibh do m' ghradh ! 
125 C'uime, Dheirg, an robh ar cridh' 
Air an sniomh co dlu \i ar com? 
A's c'uim' a spionadh thusa nam, 



THE LAY OF DARGO. 35 

As we bore him to meet his love. 
Conan ran with the skin of the boar 
(Ever for mischief was he eager) — [spouse, 

105 "By my sword fell the beast that wounded thy 
When brake his spear upon the lonely track !" 

Crimina heard the tale ; 

She saw in the likeness of death her Dargo. 

She remained, like ice in the cold, 
110 On Mora's hard rocky plain. 

All silent for awhile she lay ; 

Then seized her instrument of song. 

Melted was each heart ; yet all the while, 

Dargo we suffered not to stir. 
115 As the sweet notes of a swan in pangs of death, 

Or as the songs of her companions around her, 

When they call the ghosts from the lakes of the 

To waft her on the wings of the breeze ; [clouds 

Such was the lament of Crimina, 
120 While Dargo lay stretched close beside her. 

LAMENT OF CRIMINA. 

ghosts, from the heights of the clouds, 
In quest of your Dargo bend ye down ! 
Come from your halls, ye maids of Trenmor, 
With a robe new-woven for my love ! 
1 25 Why, Dargo, why were our hearts 

Close entwined, and our breasts fast bound 1 
And why art thou torn from me now, 



36 DAN AN DEIRG. 

'S an d'fhagadh raise gu truagh trom 1 

Mar dha lus* sinn 's an druchd ri gaire, 
130 Taobh na creige 'm bias na greine, 

Gun fhreumh air bith ach. an aon, 

Aig an da lus aobhach aoibhinn. 

Sheun bighean Chaothain na luis, 

Is bbidheach leo fein am fas ! 
1 35 Sheun a's na h-aighean eutrom ; 

Ged thug an tore do aon diu 'm bas. 

Is trom trom, 's a cheann air aomadh; 

'N t-aon lus faoin tha fathasd beb, 

Mar dhuilleach air seargadh 's a' ghr6in — 
140 ! b' aoibhinn bhi nis gun deb ! 

A's dh'iadh orm oidhche gun chrich ; 

Thuit gu sior mo ghrian fo smal. 

Moch bu lannair air Mbr-bheinn a snuadh, 

Ach anmoch chaidh tual an car. 
145 'S ma threig thu mi, sholuis m' aigh ! 

Tha mi gu la bhrath gun ghean. 

Och ! mur eirich Dearg o phramh, 

Is duibh-neul gu brath a bhean ! 

'S duaichnidh do dhreach ; fuar do chridh' : 
150 Gun spionn' ad laimh, no cli ad chois. 

Och ! 's balbh do bheul a bha binn ; 

Och 's tinn learn, a ghraidh, do chor ! 

Nis chaochail rughadh do ghruaidh, 

Fhir nam mbr-bhuadh anns gach cath ! 
155 'S mall, mar na cnuic air 'n do leum, 

A' chas a chuir eilde gu stad. 
* Al. — ros. 



THE LAY OF DARGO. 37 

And I left in sadness all forlorn 1 

Like two flowers* in tire dew that smiled, 
130 Beneath the sun's beam on the rock's warm side 

Such were we ; no root had we but one, [glad. 

Though the flowers were twain, so joyous and so 

The maidens of flowery Cona forbore to pluck them, 

So beauteous in their pride they grew ! 
135 The nimble deer also shunned to hurt them ; 

But one this day the wild boar hath slain. 

Heavily, ah ! heavily its head is drooping down; 

One feeble flower still alive remains, [ r &y, 

Like withered leaves beneath the sun's scorching 
140 Happy were it now no more in life to be ! 
Endless night encompasses me around ; 

In dim darkness is my sun for ever set. 

Bright upon Morven shone his face at morn, 

But at even it hath passed on its fatal course away. 
145 Shouldst thou forsake me, beam of my joy ! 

Gladness till the world's last day is mine no more. 

Oh if Dargo arise not from his slumber, 

On thee, O wife, a dark cloud rests for aye ! 

Dismal is thy form to behold, all cold thy heart ; 
150 Nerveless now thy hand, without force thy foot. 

Thy once melodious mouth is mute and still. 

Fallen is thy state, my own love, before me ! 

The fresh bloom on thy cheek is faded now, 

Hero, erst all-victorious in battle ! 
155 Dull as the senseless hill beneath thy tread 

Is the foot which once did stay the bounding deer. 
* Al. — roses. 



38 DAN AN DEIRG. 

A's b* annsa Dearg seach neach fo 'n ghr£in o ! 

Seach m' athair deurach, 's mo mhathair chaomh. 

Tha 'n siiil ri lear gu trie 's an eigh- 
each; 
160 Ach V annsa leamsa dol eng le m' ghaol ! 

A's lean mi 'n cein thar muir a's glinn thu, 

'S laidhinn sinte leat 's an t-sloc ; 

! thigeadh bas no tore do m' reubadh, 

Neo 's truagh mo charamh fein an nochd. 
165 A's rinneadh leaba dhuinn an raoir, 

Air an raon ud cnoc nan sealg ; 

'S ni ; n deanar leab' air leth an nochd dhuinn, 

'S ni 'n sgarar mo chorp o Dhearg ! 
Tuirlibli, o thaibhse nan nial, 
1 70 O ionadan fial nam flath ! 

Tuirlibh air ghlas-sgiathan ur ceb, 

A's glacaibh mo dheo gun athadh ! 

Oighean tha 'ii tallaibh an Trein, 

Deilbhibh ceb-eideadh Chrimine ; 
175 Ach 's annsa learn sgiobul mo Dheirg; 

A' d' sgiobuls', a Dheirg, biom ! 

A's mhothaich sinn 'g a treigsinn a guth, 
Mhothaich sinn gun lugh' a meoir. 
Thog sinn Dearg, ach bu ro-anmoch ; 
180 Crimine bha marbh gun deb. 

Thuit a' chlarsach as a laimh ; 
Dh' imich 's an dan a h-anam. 
Thaisg an laoch i air an traigh, 



THE LAY OF DARGO. 39 

Dearer than aught under the sun to me is Dargo, 

Than even my mourning sire and my gentle mother. 

Their eye is often on the sea, and they call me 
home; 
1 60 But to die with my love is all my heart's desire ! 
I have followed thee afar over sea and dale> 

And stretched with thee in the grave I fain would lie. 

Oh that death would come, or the wild boar to rend me, 

Else wretched sure this night my state must be. 
165 Together last night our couch was spread 

Upon the hill of the chase on yonder plain ; 

And to-night let not our bed divided be, 

Nor my body from Dargo be laid apart ! 
Descend, ye ghosts of the clouds, 
170 From the abode of the heroes large and free ! 

Descend on the gray wings of your mist ; 

To catch my dying breath be not afraid ! 

Ye maidens in Trenmor's halls who dwell, 

Weave now for Crimina her misty shroud ; 
175 Yet dearer to me is the mantle of my Dargo ; 

In thy mantle, O Dargo, let me lie ! 

We felt her voice to be failing, 
We saw her fingers motionless. 
Then raised we Dargo, — but it was too late ; 
180 Crimina lay lifeless and dead. 

* # # * 

The harp dropped from her hand ; 
Her soul fled away in the song. 
The warrior laid her by the shore, 



40 DAN AN DEIRG. 

Le Crimbra a cheud ghradh ; 
185 A's dh' ullaich e 's an aite cheudna 

An leac ghlas fo n' laidh e fein. 

'S chaidh ditliis deich samhraidh mu 'n cuairt, 

A's ditliis deich geamhraidh le ; m fuachd o sin ; 

An cian ud tha Dearg 'n a uaigh, 
190 'S cha 'n eisd e acli fuaim gun ghean; 

J S trie mis' a' seinn da tra nbin, 

'S Crimin' air a ceb-soillse. 

[Feuch Dearg 's an doire 'n a aonar, etc.] 



THE LAY OF DARGO. 41 

Beside his first love Crimora ; 
185 And in the self-same spot prepared 

For his own place of rest the gray stone, [round, 

Since then thrice ten summers have gone their 

And thrice ten winters with their cold ; 

All that while has Dargo in his cave remained, 
190 Nor hears he any sound save the strain of woe ; 

Often to him at noontide do I sing, [nigh. 

While Crimina upon her radiant cloud hovers 
[See Dargo in the woods alone, etc.] 



[43] 



TIOMNA GHUILL. 



AKGUMENT. 

Ossian, mourning the desolation of Selma in its ruined halls, 
lights upon an ancient shield, which he recognises as the shield 
of Gaul, the companion of his lost son Oscar. He is thus led to 
relate the circumstances of the hero's death, as follows : — 

Once, when the Fingalians were invading the hostile land of 
I-frona, Gaul was accidentally hindered from joining the expedi- 
tion, but followed on the next day. Meanwhile the army had 
returned victorious, and Gaul, missing their ships in the darkness 
of the night, hasted onward to I-frona, in the hope of joining his 
friends there. He was at once surrounded by the enemy, and, 
after achieving prodigies of valour with his own hand, was finally 
overpowered by numbers, wounded, and left on the shore to 
perish. His wife, Evircoma, anxious for his safety, resolved to 
go in quest of him ; and, embarking in a small skiff with her 
infant son, reached the spot where he lay almost at the point of 
death. She bore him to the boat, and started upon her home- 
ward voyage ; but her strength beginning to fail, she was forced 
to stop for rest at an island by the wa} T . Ossian, warned by a 
vision, went to seek the pair, and arrived just in time to find 
them both expiring. He conveyed the bodies back to their own 
land, and adopted the orphan child as his own. The poem con- 
cludes with the Lament of Fingal over Gaul, the best and bravest 
of his warriors, who is laid in the same grave with his devoted 
wife. 



[44] 



TIOMNA GHUILL. 

ISTach tiamliaidh tosd so na h-oidhche, 
'S i taosgadh a duibh-neoil air gleantai ! 
Dh' aom suain air fiuran na seilge 
Air an raon, 's a chu. r'a ghlun. 
5 Clanna nan sliabh tha e ruagadh 

'1ST a aisling, 's a sliuain 'g a thr^igsinn. 

Caidlibh, a cblanna an sgios ! 
'S gacb reul a' direadh nan aonach ; 
Caidil a lu'-choin luath ! 
10 Cba dean Oisean do sbnain a dhusgadh. 
Tha mise ri faireadb am aonar, 
Is caomh learn doille na h-oidhche ; 
'S mi 'g imeachd o ghleannan gu gleannan, 
Gun fhiughair ri madainn no soillse. 

15 Caomhain do sholus, a ghrian ; 

'S na caith cho dian do lbchrain ! 

Mar righ na Feinne, 's faoilidh d' anam, 

Ach crionaidh fathasd do mhbrchuis. 

Caomhain lbchrain nam mile lasair, 
20 A' d ghorm-thalla, 'n uair theid thu 

Fo d' chiar-dhorsan gu cadal 



[45] 



GAUL. 

Awful is this stillness of the night, 
As she pours upon the glens her dark clouds ! 
Slumber descends on the youth of the chase 
On the plain, with his hound at his knee. 
5 The sons of the mountains he is pursuing 

In dreams, and his sleep is departing from him. 

Sleep on, ye sons of toil ! 
Each star now is mounting o'er the heath ; 
Sleep on fleet hound of the course ! 
10 Ossian will not disturb thy slumbers. 
I myself am watching all alone ; 
Soothing to me is the darkness of night. 
I rove from glen to glen, 
Nor wait expectant for the light of morn. 

15 Spare thy bright beams, Sun ; 

Spend not so eagerly thy lamp ! 

As the chief of Fingal's race thy soul is bounteous ; 

Yet soon thy grandeur shall decay. 

Spare thy lamp with its thousand flames, 
20 In thy blue halls, when thou retirest 

Under thy dusky gates, to sleep 



46 TIOMNA GHUILL. 

Fo asgailt dhorcha na h-iargail. 
Caomliaiii iad mu 'm fag iad thu d' aonar, 
Amhuil raise, gun aon is blath learn ! 
25 Caomhain iad ! 's gun laoch a' faicinn 
Gorm-lasair nan lbchran aillidh. 

A Chaothain nan solus aigh, 
Tha do lbchrains' an trasa fo smal ; 
Amhuil darag air crionadh gu luatli 

30 Tha do phaillinn, 's do shluagh air treigsinn. 
Soir no siar air aghaidh d' aonaich 
Cha'n fhaighear do aon diu ach larach. 
An Seallama, 'n Taura no 'n Tigh-mbr-righ 
Cha 'n 'eil slige no bran no clarsach. 

35 Tha iad uile 'n an tulachain uaine, 
; S an claehan 'nan cluainean fein ; 
Cha 'n f haic aineol o 'n lear no o'n f hasaich 
A h-aon diu 's a bharr romh neul. 
'S a Sheallama, theach mo ghaoil ! 

40 An e 'n tbrr so d' aos-larach, 

Far am beil foghnan fraoch a's f blach, 
Ei brbn fo shileadh na h-oidhche 1 
Mu thimchioll mo ghlas-chiabhan 
Ag iadhadh tha chomhachag chbrr, 

45 'S an earbag a' clisgeadh o leabaidh, 
Gun eagal romh Oisean a' bhrbin. 

Earbag nan earn cbsach, 
'S an robh cbmhnaidh Oscair a's Fhimi, 
Cha 'n iomair mi fein ort beud, 



GAUL. 47 

Beneath the dark bosom of the twilight. 
Spare them, ere they leave thee alone, 
Like myself, without one friend to cheer me ! 
25 Spare them ! for no hero now beholds 
The blue fires of the beauteous beams. 

Cona, once abode of light and joy, 

Thy lamp is now under a cloud ; 

Like an oak whose leaf fast withereth 
30 Are thy palaces, and thy people are departed. 

East or west o'er the face of thy heath 

Nought is seen of them now but ruins. 

In Selma, Taura, and Temora 

No shell, nor song, nor harp remains. 
35 Nought are they now but grassy mounds, 

And the stones of their meads alone ; 

And the stranger from out the sea or the desert 

Their summits through the clouds shall not descry. 
O Selma, home of my love ! 
40 Is this mound thy aged site, 

"Where the thistle heath and rank grass dwell, 

Weeping with the dews of night ? 

All around my gray hairs 

Is hovering the solemn owl, 
45 And the young roe starteth from his bed, 

Nor fears he Ossian in sorrow. 

Roe of the creviced rock, 
Where erst was Oscar's and Fingal's dwelling, 
I shall deal thee no hurt, 



48 TIOMNA GHUILL. 

50 *S cha reubar thu chaoidh le m' lainn ! 

Gu druim Sheallama sineam mo lamh ; 

Tha 'n f hardach gun druim ach adhar. 

Iarram an sgiath leathan gu h-iosal ; 

Barr mo shleagh bhuail a copan ! 
55 'S a chopain eigheach nam blar ; — 

Is sar-aoibhinn learn fathasd d' f huaim ; 

Tha e diisgadh nan laithean chaidh seach, 

'S a dh ; aindeoin aois' tha m' anam a' leumnaich. 

Ach nam smuainte nam blar ! 
60 'S mo shleagh air fas ? n a luirg ; 

An sgiath chopach tuille cha bhuail i. 

— Ach ciod so 'n f huaim a dhuisg i % 

Bloidh sgeith' air a J caitheamh le h-aois ! 

Mar ghealaich earrdhubh a cruth. 
65 Sgiath Ghuill 'sia th' ann, 

Sgiath cbmhlain mo dheagh Oscair ! 

Ach ciod so chuir m' anam fo sprochd ? 

'S trie, Oscair, a f huair-sa do cliliu ; 

Air cbmhlan do ghaoil bidh fonn an tras. 
70 A Mhal-mhine le d' chlar bi dlu. ! 

'S bha 'n oidhche doilleir duaichnidh ; 
Torman speur mar chreig romh sgarnaich ; 
Uillt a' beucaich, — taibhs' a' sgreadail ; 
'S boisgeadh tern' o'n adhar bholg-dhubh. 
75 'S an uair sin chruinnich an Fheinn 



Al.l. Mar ghaoith ann am falasg an aonaich. 

Al. 2. Mar shruth aonaich tha m' anam a' leumnaich. 



GAUL. 49 

50 Never by my blade slialt thou be wounded ! 
To Selma's roof let me reach forth my hand ; 
Thy house hath no roof but the sky. 
T seek the broad shield upon the ground ; 
The point of my spear hath struck its boss ! 

55 In that boss is the call to battle ! 

Very pleasant still is thy sound to me \ 
It wakes the memory of bygone days, 
And in spite of age my soul is bounding.* 
But far from me be thoughts of war ! 

60 My spear hath become a staff ; 

Never more shall it smite the bossy shield. 

— But what sound is this that it awakes % 

'Tis the fragment of a shield worn by the rust of 

Like the waning moon is its form. [years ! 

65 It is indeed the shield of Gaul, 

The shield of my good Oscar's comrade ! 

But what sadness is this which clouds my soul] 

Often, Oscar, hast thou found thy fame ; 

Now the strain shall be for the comrade of thy love. 

70 Malvina, with thy harp be nigh ! 

Dark and dismal was the night ; 
The sky murmured like rending rocks \ 
Loud roared the torrents, — shrieked the ghosts ; 
Lightnings flashed from the heaven's dark dome. 
75 Then were gathered Fingal's men 

* Al. 1. As the wind among the burning heather. 
A I. 2. Like the flood upon the heath my soul is bounding. 



50 TIOMNA GHUILL. 

Gu h-aoibhinn an talla Fhinn ; 
Clia b' aibhist fhuar e mar an nochd, 
A's cha robh sprochd air aghaidh suinn. 
Bha bl a's cebl air uigh gach fir, 
80 A's clar an laimh gach filidh 's bg-mhna. 

Sliiubliail mar sin an oidhche, 
Mu 'n d' ionndrain sinn idir nainn i ; 
A's dhuisg a' mhadainn 's an ear, 
An leaba nan nenla luaineach. 

85 Bliuail Fionn-ghael a sgiath ; 
Cha b' ionann fuaim dh'i 's an tras. 
Ghreas na laoich o'n sruthan gu dian ; 
Bhac am buinne Goll an aigh. 
Thog sinn gu I-frebine ar siuil, 

90 Phill sinn le 'r cliu 's le 'r crich. 

C'uim' nach d' fheith thu, Ghuill nan sleagh, 
Nach seachnadh le d' dheoin an arach 1 
Air long eutrom nan garbh-thonn 
Lean an sonn sinn an dara-maireach. 

95 Aeh co sid air a' charraig, mar cheb, 
'S i 'g amharc romh dheoir air Goll ; 
A gruag dhorcha 's a' ghaoith air faondra, 
? S a lamh chaoin, mar chobhar, m' a cuailean ? 
'S bg am macan 'n a h-uchd, 
100 'S binn a crbnan 'n a chluais ; 
Ach sheid an osnadh am fonn. 
Air Goll, Aoibhir-chaomh, tha do luadh ! 
— Chitear leatha 'n long an caol-chruth ; 



GAUL. 51 

For mirth in the halls of Fingal ; 

Xo ruin then, as they are this night, 

Xor was sorrow on the faces of the heroes. 

Drinking and sons was each warrior's delight, 
; " The harp was in each minstrel's and each maiden's 

[hand. 
Thus the night passed on, 

Yet we missed it not as it sped from us ; 

And morning arose in the east 

From her couch of fleeting clouds. 
85 Fingal smote the shield : 

Not then, as now. was its sound. 

Swift rushed the warriors from the streams : 

The torrent hindered Gaul in his eager jot. 

"We hoisted for I-frona our sails, 
90 VTe returned with glory and spoil. 

"Why waited-: thou not. Gaul of the spear-. 

Thou that willingly woulclst not shun the held ! 

In light bark o'er the boisterous waves 

The hero followed us upon the second mom. 

9-5 Bui what is yon dim form, like mist, on the rock, 
Gazing through her tears after Gaul ; 
Her dark hair streaming on the wind, 
An t white hand, like foam, about her curls I 

Her young boy is at her breast : 
100 Sweet is her lulling voice in his ear : 
But a sigh hath wafted away the strain. 
Upon Gaul. Evir-coma, is all thy thought ! 
His broad ship in narrowed form is seen ; 



52 TIOMNA GHUILL. 

Le duibh-neul iosal 'g a cbmlidach, 
105 Amhuil carraig air a h-eideadh le ceo ; — • 

" A nihic Morna, slan gu'm pill thu !" 

Le ceuma mall a's le sealladh-cuil 

Phill i gu Stru-mhon ard ; 

Mar thannas air linne nan ceo, 
110 'S gun deb aig anail an fhaile. 

% * # % 

Bn trie a suil air a' chuan anrach ; — 

" A mhic Morna, slan gu'm pill thu !" 

Ghlac an oidhche dhbbhaidh dhorcha 
Mac Morna 's e 'm meadhon anraidh ; 
115 Tra sheun a' ghealach i fein fo neulaibh, 
'S gun aiteal bho reul air saile. 
Chuir sid mu seach oirnn an laoch, 
'S e siubhal eutrom air chuantai dorcha. 

'S a' mhadainn air I na frebine, 
120 Bhuail e 's a' cheb beum-sgeithe ; 

Le ioghnadh nach cual e colluinn nam blar — 
"An cadal an tras duibh, fheara na Fenine]" 

'S truagh gun mise ri d'thaobh ! 

Cha b' i lorg an aosda mo shleagh ; 
125 Ach dearg-dhealan fo 'n tuiteadh ard-chroinn, 

Tra chlisgeas bho lathair na sleibhtean. 

Bheirinn lan-dulan, a laoicb, do d' namh, 

No thuitinn gu lar gun eirigh. 

'S cba bu chrann seargte 'n sin Oisean, 
130 Air chrith romli oiteig an aonaich, 



GAUL. 53 

A low dark cloud is hiding it from view, 
105 Like a rock shrouded in a robe of mist. 

" Son of Morni, safe may'st thou return !" 

With slow pace and lingering look behind her 

She returns to lofty Strumon ; 

Like a ghost upon the misty mere, 
110 When lifeless is the breath of the breeze. 

Oft is her eye upon the stormy wave ; — 
" Son of Morni, safe may'st thou return !" 

The night boisterous and dark 
Surprised amid his distress the son of Morni ; 
115 When the moon hid her face in clouds, 
And no star shed its light upon the sea. 
Thus the hero missed our track, 
As lightly he sped over the darkened wave. 
At morn upon I-frona's shore 
120 He sounded amid the mist the alarm of battle, 
Wondering that he heard not the strokes of the 

fray— 
" Sleep ye now," he cries, "men of Frugal?" 

Pity were it I was not by thy side ! 

No old man's staff was then my spear ; 
125 But as the red lightning that levels the forest trees, 

When the mountains start from its presence. 

I would have bid defiance, warrior, to thy foes, 

Or fallen to earth to rise up no more. 

Then was Ossian no withered branch, 
130 Shaking before the wind that sweeps the plain, 



54 TIOMNA GHUILL. 

A leagas a' chraobh air a h-uilinn, 
Thar srutlian dorcha nan ioma-ghaoth. 
Bu deas mi mar ghiuthas Chaothain, 
'S m* ur-gheugan 's a' ghaoith 'g am chuartach'. 
1 35 O ! \s truagh gun Oisean bhi dlu, 

A laoich Stru-mhoin, an strith na Frebine ! 

C'ait an robh sibh, a thaibhse, 
Nach d' thug sanas air foill I-frebine ? 
'N ur cadal an ceo uaigneach, 

1 40 No cluith ri duilleig luaineich ? 

Ni h-amhluidh ; le caismeachd dhilis 

Phill a's phill sibh le 'r n-an-sgairt ; 

Tra shaoileas gu'm bu taibhse gun bhaigh sibh 

Le 'm b'aill ar cumail o Mhbr-bheinn. 

145 Eoimh 'n ceb-eideadh las lann an righ; — 
"Leanaibh am foghnan a's siol nam meat!" 

Le ainm Ghuill 'g a luadh, 
Chualas am farum a' treigsinn, 
Tiamhaidh. Dh'fhalbh iad 'n an osaig, 

150 Mar osainn easaich 's a' chbrr a' caoirean. 



IOM-CHEIST GHUILL. 

'S am beilim fein am aonar 
Am measg nan ceuda colg, 
Gun lainn liomhaidh learn 
'S a' chathdhorcha? 
155 Tha imeachd nan tonn geal 
Gu Mbrbheinn nam bad ; 



GAUL. 55 

When are bowed the trees at an angle 
Over the dark streams where the whirlwind rides. 
I stood prepared, like a pine in Cona's glen, 
With my branches waving around me fresh and 
135 Ah! pity that Ossian was not nigh, [green. 

Hero of Strumon, in the strife of I-frona ! 

Where were ye then, ye ghosts, [I-frona? 

That ye gave no warning in the treachery of 
Were ye asleep in the lonely mist, 

140 Or sporting with the restless leaves'? 

Not so; — with friendly alarm [ cr y; 

You returned once and again with your piercing 
But we thought you were unkindly ghosts, 
Seeking to detain us from Morven. [sword ; 

145 Through your misty robes glanced the king's 

" Pursue the thistle-down and the sons of the 

The uttered name of Gaul was heard [timid!" 

Amid their rushing sound as they sped away, 

All mournful. They vanished in the blast, [cry. 

150 Like the noise of a cataract or the crane's plaintive 

PERPLEXITY OF GAUL. 

Am I then by myself alone 
Amidst a hundred swords, 
Without my own burnished blade, 
In the dark night of battle ? 
155 The course of the whitening billows 
Is toward woody Morven ; 



56 TIOMNA GHUILL. 

An tog mi mo shiuil, 

'S gun chaomh am fagus 1 

Ach cionnus a dh'eireas an dan, 
160 Ma dh' fhasas neul 

Air cliu mhic Morna ? 

Ciod their Fionn le 'm b'abhaist 

Am boile nam cath cruaidh 

A radh ri mhic bhras, 
165 " Nach faic sibh teachd mhic Morna ! M 

'S a Mhorna na 'm faiceadh tusa 

Do mhac a' teicheadh o'n araich, 

Nach tigeadh rugh' air do ghniiis aosda, 

'N lathair nan laoch neulach ? 
170 'S nach cluinnteadh d' osna 's a' ghaoith 

An gleann faoin na Stru-mhoin, 

Tra theireadh na taibhse lag, 

" Theich do mhac an I-frebine V 
A Mhorna, bu deacair learn ! 
175 A's m' anam am chom mar fhalaisg aonaich, 

Tra sgaoileas i bras o dhos gn dos, 

'S sJ choille 'n a caoiribh dearga. 
A Mhorna, seall orm o'n aonach ! 

Bha d' anam fein mar steud-shruth bras, 
180 Fo chobhar ceann-gheall an cuinge garbhlaich ; 

? S mac-samhuil sin anam do mhic. 
Aoibhir-chaomha ! — Og'uill ! — 

Ach ni 7 m buin dearsanna caomh do'n. doininn. 

Tha anam Ghuill an collainn na cbmhraig. 
185 'S truagh gun Oisean mac Fhinn 

Bhi leam, mar an linn Mhic Nuath ! 



GAUL. 57 

Shall I hoist my sails, 

Since no friend is near me ] 

But how then shall they raise the song, 
160 Should any cloud arise 

Upon the fame of Morni' s son ? 

What shall Fingal say, who was wont, 

In the fierce combat's furious storm, 

To speak to his bold sons, saying, 
165 " Mark ye the path of the son of Morni !" 

And thou, Morni, should' st thou behold 
4 Thy son from the field retiring, 

Would no blush o'erspread thy aged face 

In presence of the cloud- wrapped heroes 1 
170 Would not thy sigh be heard upon the breeze 

In Strumon's lonely vale, 

When the ghosts of the feeble should say, 

" Thy son fled in I-frona P 

O Morni, this were hard to me ! 
175 The soul within my breast is as fire on the heath, 

When it spreads impetuous from bush to bush, 

And the forest glows red in the roaring flame. 
O Morni, behold me in the field ! 

Ardent was thy soul as a surging torrent, [bed; 
180 When foams its white crest in its narrow rocky 

And such here is the soul of thy son. 
Evir-coma ! — Og'al ! — 

But mild sunbeams belong not to storms. 

The soul of Gaul is in the strokes of battle. 
1 85 Woe is me that Ossian, son of Fingal, 

Is not with me, as in the day of Mac Nua ! 



58 TIOMNA GHUILL. 

Ach tha m' anam fein 'n a thannas eitidh, 
'S e leum 'n a aonar 's a' chuan atmhor, 
A' taomadh mile tonn air eilean air chrith, 
190 'S a' marcaclid a ris an coblian na gaoithe. 

Bhuail mac Morn , an t-ath-bheum sgeithe ; 

(Cha b' ionann a h-eigh a's an trasa) — 

Chlisg an I, a's dhiiisg a cathan ; 

Dhuldaich Goll, 's lann athar a' dealradh.* 
195 Gach taobh dheth tha daoine 'g an sgathadh, 

Mar ur-bbarrach. an doire na fasaich ; 

An airm liombaidh ? s an raon air an sgapadh, 

'S eoin na h-ealtainn ri gaire. 

A Mhala-mhin, nach fac thn fein 
200 Sgaoth eunlaith air steudan saile, 

A' cuartachadh muice moire, 

'S na cuanta dbbhaidh a' ganraich ? 

Nach fac thu bolg ban an eisg 

(Mar shmil air an s6ideadh) 'n uachdar ; 
205 'Sua h-eoin air na tonna fad as, 

Ri sgairteachd le geilt a's fuathas 1 

B' amhnil sin eagal na Frebine, 

'S an geilt romh chomhrag Ghuill. 

Ach dh' f has mac Morna fann, 
210 'S e ri crann a' leigeil a thaic ; 
Ceud corran 'n a thaobh an sas, 
A's fhuil air magh a sgeithe glais'. 

* A I. — Bhuail iad mar thein-adhair thun tragha. 



GAUL. 59 

But my soul is as a grisly spectre, 
As it bounds alone upon the swelling main, [lows, 
Which pours over trembling isles its thousand bil- 
190 Then rides once more upon its wind-borne car. 

Morni's son smote the shield again ; 
(Not then as at this day was its sound) — 
The isle started \ the men of war awoke ; 
Dark was Gaul's frown — bright flashed the brand 
of his sire. * 

195 On every side he hewed down the men, 

Like green branches in the moorland grove ; 
Their polished arms are strewn upon the plain, 
And flocking birds exultant laugh around. 
Malvina, hast thyself not seen 

200 A flight of birds upon the surging sea, 
Surrounding some mighty whale, 
Amid the roaring boisterous waves % 
Sawest thou not the white belly of the fish 
(Like a bulging sail) upturned ; 

205 While the sea-birds far off on the billow, 
Affrighted in terror, screamed aloud % 
Even such was the fear of I-frona's men, 
And their dread in the combat with Gaul. 

But fainter grew the son of Morni, 
210 And to a tree he let himself lean ; 
A hundred arrows fixed in his side, 
His blood upon the plain of his dark blue shield, 

* A I. — They rushed like lightning to the shore. 



60 TIOMNA GHUILL. 

Acli 's dealan-bais a chlaidheamh ; 

'S tha crith air anam na Frebine. 
215 Ach c'umr', a shil gun iochd, 

Am beil ur lamh ri lie ghailbhich ] 

An ann a' sgaoileadh ur cliu 

Gus na linnte dhuisgeas 's an bran ? 

Ach an cliu. do sheachdnar a h-iomain 
220 An carabh aon fhir 's e 'n a bnrachd ? 
Bliuail i sliasaid an laoich ; 

Dh ? aom e air a sgeith umlia, 

Alluidh ; 's a naimh 7 g a threigsinn, 

Mar iolair reubte le dealan na h-oidhche.* 
225 'S truagh nacb V fhios do na laoich, 

Ioma-ghaoth nan cath, do chor ! 

Cha 'n eisdeamaid cebl no clar, 

'S mac Morna bbi 'n sas teann. 

Cha cbaidleadh mac-an-Luinn 'n a thruaill, 
230 'S cha bhiodh sleagh Fhinn gun luadh air ar; 

'S ni ? m b' ioghnadh bho m' righ, 's e mosgladh, 

" Bhuail tannas no osag an sgiath ud !" 



Cuim' nach d' ath-bhuail thu do shleagh, 
A Mhorna nan ciabh aosda *? 
235 C'uim' nach d' aom thu gu m' aisling f6in, 
" Oisein, eirich ! 's Goll 'n a aonarl" 
Ach bha d' imeachd gu I na frebine, 
Shil frasan o d' dheoir air na sleibhtean; 

* Al. — Mar iolair leont' air carraig nan cnoc, 

'S a sgiath air a lot le dealan na h-oidhche. 



GAUL. 61 

Yet the thunderbolt of death is still his sword, 
And trembling is on the hearts of the sons of 

215 But why, ye merciless race, [I-frona. 

Are your hands on yon enormous stone 1 
Think ye thus to extend your fame, 
For the ages to awake it in song ? 
What fame for seven men to hurl it 

220 Against one man, deserted and alone 1 
It smote the hero's thigh ; 
He leaned upon his shield of bronze, 
Still terrible ; and his foes forsook him, 
As an eagle torn by the levin-bolt of night.* 

225 Ah ! pity that thy comrades knew not, 
Whirlwind of battle, thy lorn condition ! 
Then had we heard no strain of harp or song, 
While Morni's son was in sore distress. 
The "son of Luno" had not slept within his sheath, 

230 Nor Fingal's spear been unpraised upon the field; 
Nor had we marvelled that my king arose, saying, 
" Some ghost or the passing breeze struck yon 
shield !" 

Why smotest thou not once again with thy spear, 
O Morni of the hoary locks? 
235 Why did'st thou not descend to my dream and say, 
" Arise, Ossian ! Gaul is deserted ? " 
But thou wast speeding onward to I-frona, 
Thy tears rained in showers upon the mountains; 

* Al. — As an eagle wounded on a craggy steep, 

His wing bruised by the levin-bolt of night. 



62 TIOMNA GHUILL. 

Bha crith air gach innis romh d' sgairt, — 
240 Lan brbin a's do mhac gun eirigh. 

Bhrist fair' air monadh nan sruth, 
Threig aisling na mna caoin' ; 
Chaisd i ri caithream na seilg, 
B' ioghnadh nach cual i a gaol. 
245 'S an la bho thulachaibh nan dos 
Dh' eisd i a caoidh fein ; 
A's anmoch sheall i air lear, 
Brbnach, 's gun luing a' leum. 

Aoibhie-chaomh. — " Ciod so chum thu, ghraidh, 
250 Seach each an I na frebine ? 

Mise dubhach air aomadh chreag, 

'S mac-talla a' freagairt do m' chbmhradh. 

ISTach feudadh tu pilleadh a nis, 

(Ged thigeadh ort anradh-cuain) 
255 A's d' uigh blii ri leanabh do ghaoil, 

A thaomas learn osna gu cruaidh % 

'S truagh nach cluinneadh tu, ghaoil, 

Fuaim bhristeach d'ainme 

O bheul Og'uill, gu d' ghreasad. — 
260 Ach 7 s eagal learn fein nach pill thu ! 
Chunnas aisling an raoir. 

Bha gach neach air an raon ach Goll ; 

Tamull as, 's a thaice r' a shleagh, 

Bha'n laoch 'n a sheasamh air aona-chois. 
265 Bha chas eile 'n a ceb glas, 

A charaich gach oiteag a sheideadh. 



GAUL. 63 

Each island trembled at thy piercing cry, — 
240 Full of anguish is thy son, and he cannot rise. 

Dawn broke on the moor of streams, 
His gentle wife from dreams awoke ; 
She listened to the shout of the chase, 
Wondering she heard not the voice of her love. 
245 All day upon the bosky knolls 

She heard but her own wailing cry ; 
And at even she gazed upon the sea, 
Sorrowful, for no ship was bounding there. 

Evir-coma. — "What holdeth thee thus, my love, 
250 In I-frona from the rest apart 1 

I am sad upon the shelving rock, 

And the echo gives answer to my cry. 

Mightest thou not by now have returned, 

(Though distress at sea might assail thee) 
255 Thy desire being toward the child of thy love, 

Who pours forth with me his bitter sigh ? 

Pity is it, love, thou dost not hear 

The lisped murmur of thy name 

From OgaFs mouth, to speed thy coming. 
260 Ah, much I fear me thou wilt not return ! 
Last night a vision I saw. 

Each warrior was on the plain, save Gaul ; 

Hard by, leaning upon his spear, 

On one foot the hero stood. 
265 The other seemed of blue-grey mist, 

Stirred by each breeze as it blew. 



64 TIOMNA GHUILL. 

Chaidh mi fein an cbmhdhail mo ghaoil ; 

Ach sheid osag o'n aonach uam e. 

— Ach uam aislinge-geilt ! 
270 Pillidh tu, Righ Stru-mhoin ; 

'S do cheann mar og-ghnuis na greine, 

'S i 'g eirigh air Crom-shliabh nan taibhse ; 

Far an crithicli 's an oidhch' an t-aineol, 

'S na tannais a' sgairteachd gach taobh dheth ; 
275 Ach theich iad romh aiteal na maidne, 

'S ghabh esan le bhata gu gluasad. 
Is amhluidh chi mi thu, ghaoil ; 

Nach e sid aogas do bharca 1 

A siuil mar chobhar nan creag, 
280 No mar shneachd' air barraibh na fasaich. 
Am barca tha ann no ceo ] 

Do m' shuil-sa cha leir le bron ; 

Is i barca mo ghaoil a tha ann, 

A' leum fchar saile 'n a deann. 
285 Oidhche, na falaich a shiuil, 

Na sgaoil do sgiath air mo run ! 

Greasam 's an sgoth so 'n a dhail, 

Romh cheo na h-iargaile tlaith." 

Dh ? imich i, 's barca cha d' f huair ; 
290 Bha 'n ceb luaineach le taibhse, 

A chleachd seoladh air lear o shean, 

'S a lean an abhaist a b' aoibhinn. 

Tha sgoth na mna ag imeachd 

Gu camus innis na Freoine ; 
295 Tha chaol-ghealach troimh neula balbha, 



GAUL. 65 

Myself went to meet my love ; 

A blast from the desert wafted him from me. 

— But away, ye dreams of fear ! 
270 Chief of Strumon, thou wilt return; 

Thy head as the sun's visage, fresh and young, 

When he riseth from the Cromlech of the ghosts ; 

Where the wayfarer by night doth tremble, 

With gibbering spectres on every side ; 
275 At the first breath of morn they are fled, 

And with his staff he pursues his journey. 
Even thus shall I see thee, my love ; 

Is not yonder the likeness of thy bark 1 

Her sails like the foam of the rock, 
280 Or as snow on the heights of the desert moor. 
Is it thy bark, or mist ? 

For weeping my eyes cannot see ; 

Yes, yonder is the bark of my love, 

Upon the briny wave fast bounding. 
285 O night, hide not her sails, 

O'er my love's form spread not thy wings ! 

In my skiff let me haste without delay, 

Through the mist of the twilight calm." 

She went, but no bark was seen ; 
290 'Twas some flitting phantom of mist, 

Sailing as he was wont of yore, 

And pursuing his customed pleasure. 

The wife's skiff onward flies 

To a creek on I-frona's shore ; 
295 Calmly through the clouds the thin moon shines, 



66 TIOMNA GHUILL. 

Cul chrann, air farr-bhelnn a' seoladh. 
A's reulta romli sliracadh nan nial 
Dubh-sgiathach air aghaidh na h-oidhche, 
A' leumnaich o nial gu nial, 

300 'S mar thannas gu dian a' treigsinn. 
Dhearc a' bhean 'n an dearsadh caol 
Air aogas aluinn a mic; 
'S i 'g a f hagail 'n a coit chaoil ; — 
" Oig mo ghaoil bi 'n so gun fhios ! "* 

305 Mar cholum an carraig na h-Ulacha, 
'S i solar dbearca d'a h-al bea-g, 
'S a' pilltinn gu trie, gun am blasad i f£in, 
Tra dh' eireas an t-seabhag 'n a smuainte ; 
B' amhuil a phill tri uairean Aoibhir, 

310 'S a h-anam mar thuinn air an luasgadh 

Bho bliair gu bair, 's an doinionn a' seideadh;- 
Tra chual i guth-brbin o gheig na traghad.t 



Goll. — " Tha mise, lamb threun nan cath, 
A' seargadb air traigh am aonar ; 
315 Gun fhios aig Oisean no Fionn air, 

Mur dean soillse nan speur dhoibh innseadh. 

Innsibh, a reulta ruiteach 
Do tbeacb nan laoch mar thuit mi fein ; 
A's innsibh, a thaibbse nan sion 
320 Mo sgeul-sa do High na Feinne ! 

* Al. — "Iarram d' athair ri taobh na tuinn' so." 
t Al. — " Chluinn mi guth broin air uchd an ailidh." 



GAUL. 67 

Behind the trees, o'er the ridge of the mountain 
sailing. 

The stars peer through the rents in the clouds, 

Dark-brooding on the face of the night ; 

And they glance from cloud to cloud, 
300 Like spectres suddenly vanishing. 

By the scanty beam the wife beholds 

The beauteous face of her child ■ 

In the narrow skiff she leaves him awhile ; — 

" Child of my love, rest thou here unwitting 1"* 
305 Like a dove on Ulla's rock, 

That gathereth berries for her young ; 

Oft she returns, nor tastes herself the food, 

When rises the hawk within her thoughts. 

Thus Evir-coma thrice returned, 
310 Her soul like the billows tossing to and fro 

From crag to crag, while the storm- wind is blowing; 

When from a tree of the shore she heard a voice 
of woe.t 

Gaul. — " 'Tis I, the hand once terrible in battle, 

Pining upon this shore all alone ; 
315 Yet nor Ossian nor Fingal know my fate, 

If the lights of the firmament sound not forth the 
Tell it, ye ruddy stars, [tale. 

In the house of the heroes, that I am fallen ! 

Tell, ye spectres of the storm, 
320 My story to the Chief of Fingal's sons ! 
* Al. — "I seek thy father beside yon waves." 
f Al. — "I hear a voice of woe borne on the bosom of the breeze." 



68 TIOMNA GHUILL. 

Innsibh gu'm beil m' anam fo leon 

An I-Frebine, gun ibh gun ith, 

Ach saile gorm re la a's la; — 

]STa faigheadh mo ghradh air fios ; 
325 An c6in biodli imeachd ur sgiath, 

Gun f harum gun f hiamh dol seach ; 

Na cluinneadh mo ghaol ur guth, 

Mu 'n siubhail lionn-dubh air a h-inntinn ; 

An c6in a ris biodli ur rathad, 
330 ; S biodli aisling mo mhnatha-sa aoibhinn. 

— Tha mhadainn, a ghaoil, fad as ; 

Gabh fois le caidreamh do naoidhein. 

Am fuaim a' chaochain, am faoin-ghleann 6ilde, 

Biodli d' aisling aoibhinn, Aoibhir-chaomha !" 

335 Aoibhir-chaomh. — " 'S an saoil thu gur fois domh 
fein, 

A's Goll am pern air ascaoin traghad ] 

Mo cbridhe cba cbosail ri carraig, 

Cba robh m' athair o I na Frebine. 

— Acli c'ait am faigh mi furtachd do m' ghaol ? 
340 Is cuimhne learn sgeula Chas-du-Conghlais. ;, 

SGEULA CHAS-DU-CONGHLAIS. 

Tra bha mi og an glacaibh m' athar, 

Bha ar siublial aon latha 's na cuaintean ; 

Sheid an doinionn sinn gu carraig 

(Bha Cri-soluis mar-ruinn 's an uair sin).* 

* Al. — Chaidh ar curach a bhristadh 'n a bhruanaich. 



GAUL. 69 

Tell tliem my soul is wounded sore 
In I-frona ; no meat have I, nor drink, 
Save the blue briny wave from day to day. 
But let not my love hear the tale ; 

325 Far from her be the passing of your wings ; 
Without alarm all noiseless flit ye by. 
Let not my darling hear your voice, 
Lest boding thoughts travel across her mind ; 
Again, I say, far off direct your course, 

330 And be my own wife's dreams ever joyous. 
— Still distant, my love, is the light of morn ; 
Rest thee on, thy fond babe embracing. 
By purling rills in the lonely glen of roes, 
Pleasant be thy dreams, Evir-coma !" 

335 Evir-coma. — u Dost thou think that myself could 
rest, 

And Gaul in pain upon an unkindly shore ? 

Not hard is my heart as a rock, 

Nor was my sire of the race of I-frona. 

— But where may I find sustenance for my love ? 
340 I remember the tale of Cas-du-Consflas." 



STORY OF CAS-DU-CONGLAS. 

When I was a child in my father's arms, 
Our course one day was upon the waves ; 
The storm- wind drove us upon a rock ; 
(Cri-sollis was with us in that hour).* 
* Al. — Our frail bark (coracle) was dashed in fragments. 



70 TIOMNA GHUILL. 

345 Tri ckroinn ghlasa gun duilleach, 

Bha 'n sin air barr tuinne 'g an luasgadh ; 

Mu 'n cois bha fas nan dearg-dhearcag, 

Cha d' rinn m' athair am blasad ged bhuain e. 

" A Chri-soluis, tha d' fheum-sa mbr ; 
350 Am maireach foghnaidh dhomlisa m' aonach." 
Thainig madainn *s am feasgar mu seach, 

Ach V i charraig ar teach an cbmhnaidh. 

Curach de bharrach nan crann 

Dheilbh m' athair, a's V fhann a chbmhradh. 
355 — " A Chridhe 'n t-soluis, caidleam fein, 

Tra thig am fe biodh sibhs' a' gluasad." * 

Cri-soluis. — " Gun mo ghaol ni ? n gluaiseam 
fein; 
Gun f hios domli an d' eug d ? anam ? 
C'uim' nach d' ith thu subhan an f hasaich 1 
360 Gabh, a ghraidh, o na ciochan so bainne." 
Rinn e mar dh' iarr i, 's phill a lugh ; 
Thuit a' ghaoth 's bu dlu. I-dronlo, 
Bu trie a luadh air sgeula mo ghraidh, 
Tra tharamaid aig uaigh Chri-soillse. 
365 " Aoibhir-chaomha na gnuise tlaith, 
Thigeadh do mhathair gu d' chuimhne, 
Ma tharlas dut fein 's do d' leannan, 
Mac-samhuil e so do ghabhadh." 

Aoibhir-chaomh. — "Is amhuil, a's bheirim 

mar iocshlaint, 
* A I. — An c6in tha aimsir mo dhusgaidh. 



GAUL. 71 

345 Three gray and leafless trees were there, 

O'er the crests of the billows waving to and fro ; 

At their foot red berries were growing ; 

These my father plucked, yet tasted not. 

" Cri-sollis," he cried, " thine own need is great ; 
350 To-morrow my own moor shall yield me food." 
Morn came, and evening in its turn, 

Yet upon that rock we still abode. 

A coracle from the branches of the trees 

My father wove, and feeble grew his speech. 
355 — " Heart of light, I needs must sleep ; 

When comes the calm, bestir thee and haste away." * 

Cri-sollis. — " Without my love I surely will 
not stir ; 
Was thy soul perishing, and I knew it not ? 
Why atest thou not of the wild berries 1 
360 Take, my love, of my own breasts this milk." 

He did as she besought, and his strength returned ; 
The wind fell, and I-dronlo soon was nigh. 
Oft would he tell the tale I loved to hear, 
As we wandered near Cri-sollis , tomb. 
365 " Evir-coma," he would say, " maid of softest face, 
Bear thou thy mother's deed in thy remembrance, 
If ever thyself and thy beloved 
In peril like my own should chance to be." 

Evir-coma. — " Such is it now ; a cordial let me 

bring, 
* Al. — Far distant is the time of my waking. 



72 TIOMNA GHUILL. 

370 Bainne mo chiochan do m , ghaol ; 
Foghnaidh sin da an nochd, 
'S bidh sinn socafr air traigh am maireach." 

Goll. — " Imichs' a glieug aillidh, 

Gu d' thraigh mu 'n duisg an t-soillse ; 
375 Imich a d' sgoth le d' leanabh a' d'uchd ! 

C'uim' an tuit e mar mhaoth-bhlathan, 

Air a sgathadh le sleagh gun iochd, 

An laimh laoich gun sliochd gun chairdeas 1 

Thuit e 's a cheann fo bhruaidlein ; 
380 Le cheileir-cruadail tha 'n laoch ag imeachd. 

— Imich, ? s fag mise 'n I-Frebine ; 

'S mi leonte, mar chladach gun chaochan ; 

Mar luibh a' seargadh romh ghaoith-gheamhraidh, 

Nach tog a ceann le grein a' cheltein. 
385 Thugadh na trein-fhir mi gu 'n talamh! 

Ach thainig smal air mo chliu-sa. 

Fo 'n chrann so caireadh iad m' uaigh. 

Chi 'n coigreach o stuaidh an t-sail' i ; 

Crathaidh e cheann a's e ? g acain, 
390 < Faic far an d' eug Mac-Morna !' " 

Aoibhir-chaomh. — a 'S eugaidh mise lem J ghaol, 
Caidleam ri thaobh fo 'n f heur ; 
Bidh ar leaba 's a' bhas co-ionann, 
'S ar taibhs' an co-imeachd nan speur. 
395 Chi oighean ar ceuma ; s an oidhche • 

6 Nach aoibhneach (their iad) a charaid !' 
— A choigrich nan steud, guil a rithis, 



GAUL. 73 

370 Even the milk of my own breasts, to my love ; 
This to-night shall supply thy need, 
Safe on our own shore will we rest at morn." 

Gaul. — "Retire, thou beauteous maiden, [light; 

That thou wake not on this shore at the morning 
375 To thy skiff with the babe at thy bosom hence away ! 

Why should he fall, even as a tender blossom 

Lopped by the remorseless spear in a warrior's hand, 

That owneth himself no kin nor offspring ? 

With drooping head to earth he prostrate falls ; 
380 The warrior with song unfeeling goes his way. 

— Retire then, and leave me here in I-frona ; 

I am wounded ; yea, as a streamless beach am I ; 

As the herb which the winter's blast hath withered, 

That doth not raise its head to the sun of spring. 
385 Let the heroes convey me to their land ! 

But no ; a cloud has passed upon my glory. 

Rather beneath this tree let them raise my tomb. 

The stranger shall see it from the briny wave ; 

Weeping, he will shake his head, and cry, 
390 6 Behold the spot where died the son of Morni !' " 

Evir-coma. — " I also would die with my love, 
By his side beneath the sward let me repose ; 
Together in death our couch shall be laid, 
And our ghosts shall flit together through the sky. 
395 The virgins by night shall mark our course ; 

* Behold,' they will say, ' the blissful lovely pair !' 
— Stranger upon the wave, shed once again the tear; 



74 TIOMNA GHUILL. 

Tha dithis 'n an cadal 's an ar so ! 
Ach ciod so 'n guth tha 'm chluais ? 

400 Guth Og'uill, 's e truagh gun fhurtachd. 
Tha m' anam fein a' mosgladh, 
'S a 7 plosgail gun chlos am innibh. 
Is c'uim' an eirich anam Ghuill 1 
C'uim' an cluinnear acain ghoirt ? 

405 An guil mar so athair a mhac, 
'S an eol da acain mathar 1 
Ar learn gu'm beil d' anam a' leum ; 
Giulaineam fein thu thun ar mic. 
'S eutrom an t-uallach mo ghradh ! 

410 Faigheam am laimh do lorg. ? ' 

Ghiulain i 'n laoch gus a sgoth ; 
'S fad na h-oidhche chothaich ri steudaibh. 
Chunnaic gach reul a treise 'g a f agail ; 
Fhuair a' mhadainn gun chail mar neul i. 

415 Air an oidhche sin 's mis' air an raon, 
Thainig gu m' chadal an t-aos-Mhorna ; 
Bha thaice ri luirg air chrith, 
A's aghaidh snidheach ro-bhrbnach. 
Gach clais 'n a ghnuis bha Ian 

420 Le sruthan anrach na h-aoise ; 
Tri uairean sheall e thar iear, 
Tri uairean bha acain caointeach. 
" An cadal do charaid mhic Morna, 
'S an am bu chbir dha dusgadh V 3 



GAUL. 75 

Two are sleeping beneath this plain ! 
But what cry is it that I hear ? 
400 Tis Og'al, my helpless babe, in trouble. 

My fond heart awaketh at the sound, 

And restless throbs within my bosom. 

And why is stirred the soul of Gaul % 

Why hear I that sigh of anguish sore % 
405 Weeps thus a father for his child, 

Or knows he a mother's sorrow 1 

I feel the beating of thy heart ; 

Myself to our son will bear thy form. 

Light will be the burden, my love ! 
410 Let me take in my hand thy staff." 

To the skiff the warrior she bore ■ 
All night long she battled with the waves. 
Each star beheld her strength forsaking her ; 
All nerveless as mist was she found at morn. 

415 That night I was sleeping on the plain, 
To my dreams came the aged Morni ; 
He ]eaned upon a trembling staff, 
His face was moist with the tears of woe. 
Each furrow in his cheek was filled 

420 With the sorrowful streams of age \ 
Thrice gazed he forth upon the sea, 
Thrice sounded his plaintive sigh. 
" Sleeps now the friend of the son of Morni, 
At a time when he should be waking V 

G 



76 TIOMNA GHUILL. 

425 Thainig osag 'n a cuibhlidh \s a' phreas, 

Dhuisg i coileach an f hraoich. 

Le tuireadh-glaoidh thog e clieann ; 

A m' chadal chlisg mi fein, 

A's chunnas Morna 'n a neul 'g am fhagail. 
430 Leanas thar muir a cheum, 

A's fhuaras an sgeith na h-innse 'n sgoth. 

An taice r'a taobh bha ceann mo Ghuill, 

Ri taobh uilne bha sgiath nan cath ; 

Thar a bile bha creuchd nrn leth, 
435 'Si dearg-shruthadh mu chnapa-starra. 

Thogas a chlogaid ; chunnas a chiabhan 

'N an anradh fiar am fallus. 

Dh' eirich mo bhuirich fein, 

'S thog esan air eiginn a shuil. 
440 Thain' an t-eug mar smal na greine ; — 

Tuille cha leir dhufc d' Oscar ! 

Tha ailleachd Aoibheir-chaomha fo smal, 

'S barr sleagh aig a mac gun smuairean • 

B' f hann a guth ; bu tearc a raite. 
445 Thogas fein le m' laimh a suas i ; 

Ach leag i mo bhas air ceann a mic, 

'S a h-acain gu trie ag eirigh. 



OiSTAsr. — "A leinibh chaoimh, is diomhain d* 
f huran ! 
Do mhathair tuille cha ? n eirich. 
450 Biom fein dut am dhearbh-athair, 

Ach ni 'm mairionn an Aoibhir-aluinn. 



GAUL. 77 

425 A blast came whirling through the copse, 

It roused the cock of the heather. 

With shrill cry he lifted his head ; 

I myself started from my slumber, 

And saw Morni on his cloud departing. 
430 O'er the sea I pursued his track, 

In shelter of the isle the skiff I found. 

Propped against its side was the head of my Gaul, 

Fast by his elbow lay his shield of war ; 

Over its border half appeared the wound, 
435 Around his spear's knob all purple flowing. 
I lifted his helm ; his locks were seen, 

In sweat-drops all disordered streaming. 

Then burst forth the anguish of my soul ; 

Hardly the hero raised his eye. 
440 Death came, as a cloud upon the sun ; 

Thy Oscar shalt thou see no more ! 

Clouded is Evir-coma's beauty now, 

Her child all careless holds the head of the spear; 

Faint is her voice, her words are few. 
445 With my hand I sought to raise her up ; 

But she laid upon her son's head its palm, 

While thick and fast her sighs arose. 



Ossian. — "My sweet child, vain is all thy 
fondling ! 
Thy mother shall arise no more. 
450 I myself will be thy father true, 

But Evir-allin no longer in life remains. 



78 TIOMNA GHUILL. 

— Ach ciod mu'm beil m' anam cho meat? 
Theirgeadh mo dheoir na'n tuirinn gach anradh." 

Raineas talla nan cbs-shruth, 
455 Talla dubhach Ian eislein, 

Gun f honn baird, gun chruit-chiuil, 

Ach fuaim duillich a dhuisg an treun-ghaoth. 

Laidh an iolair air barr an teach, 

Shonraicb i clii-nead dh'i feln. 
460 " Co dhireas am mullach, no dh'fhbgras 

M' eoin ria'ch 7 n an leabaidli shemin^" 

Crubaidh fo 'n dorus am minnean, 

; S e 'g a faicinn air binnean na carraige. 

Tha Cos-ullamh 'n a laidh' air an stairsnich, 
465 'S e farum Ghuill a th'ann, tha e J m barail, 

'S le aiteas tha dheoir a' treigsinn. 

Ach tha thuireadh a' pilleadh ('s e laidhe') 

Cha 'n f haic e ach mac na h-eilde. 

Ach co dh'innseas airsneal na Feinne ? 
470 'S iad mall a J tearnadh mar cheathach, 

Tra bhios f haileas ri am na frois', 

A' gluasad air faiche na luachrach. 

Iosal chi iad cliar nan cath, 

'S an deoir a' sileadh mar bhainne na h-ailbhinn. 
475 Leig Fionn a thaice ri giuthas aosd' 

A leag a' ghaoth, aig ceann mhic Morna ; 

'N a dhuala liath bha dheoir am falach, 

A's ula geal an sranna na sine. 



GAUL. 79 

— But why thus craven is this soul of mine ] 
In mourning every sorrow my tears would fail." 

"We reached the halls of the converging streams ; 

455 Halls all gloomy and full of woe. 

No song of bards nor music of harp is there ; 
Nought but the rustling of leaves which the rough 

wind wakes. 
On the house-top the eagle percheth aloft, 
She chooseth it for the place of her nest. 

460 " Who may scale the height, or drive away 
My brown younglings from their quiet bed V* 
Beneath the door the young fawn is crouching, 
He looks upward to the pinnacle of the crag. 
Cos-ulla lies upon the threshold ; 

465 The sound of Gaul's tread he seems to hear, 
And with joy the tear starts from his eye. 
But his grief returns, as again he lays him down, 
For nought save the young roe doth he descry. 

But who may tell the heaviness of Fingal's sons? 
470 Slowly they issue forth like the mist, 

When its shadow comes in time of rain, 

Moving over the rush-grown mead. 

The hero of battles they see laid low, 

And as the ooze of a jutting rock their tears 
475 Fingal leans him to an aged pine [descend. 

By the wind o'erturned, at the head of the son of 

His gray tresses hide his tears ; [Morni ; 

In the whistling blast his hoary beard is waving. 



80 TIOMNA GHUILL. 

MAR CHAOIDH FIONN MAC MORNA. 

*S a laoich feara na Feinne, 
480 'Nd' fhag thu raise learn fein am aois 1 

Tuille nach cluinn mi d 1 eigheach, 

No farum do sgeith air an raon *? 

Nach soillsich tuille do chlaidheamh, 

Le 'm faigheamar buaidh na laraich 1 
485 Nach marcaich 's an t-sin do long, 

'S nach cluinnear learn fonn do ramhach t 

Tra thuirleas m' anam an ceo, 

Tra dh' aomas neul air mo chiabh, 

Nach cluinn mi o mhacaibh nam fonn, 
490 " Sid air lear long Mhic Morna?" 

Fonn nan bighean a's guth nam bard 

Gu brath cha 'n eirich a' d' chbmhdhail ; 

Cha 'n f haic na sleibhte do bhratach ; 

Cha chluinnear d' acain no d' bran. 
495 Cha 'n 'eil imeachd do chon air an t-sliabh, 

Tha iad siar aig d y f hardaich, brbnach ; 

Tha damh na crbic air an fhaiche, 

Cha 'n fhiu leo fhaicinn, J s nach beo thu. 

Och ! a lu-choin, dh' imich an laoch ; 
500 Cha chluinn sibh 's an aonach a ghuth. 

An so tha chadal, gun seilg air uigh ; 

'S beum-sgeith, a Ghuill, cha duisg thu ! 
Ciod e spionnadh an laoich ? 

Ged sgaoil e mar dhuilleach an cath, 
505 An diugh ge treun air an raon, 

Bheir an daol am maireach buaidh air. 



GAUL. 81 

HOW FINGAL LAMENTED THE SON OF MOTtNI. 

Warrior chief among the host of Fingal, 
480 Hast thou left me in eld forlorn 1 

Thy voice shall I hear no more, 

Nor the clang of thy shield upon the plain ? 

No longer flashes thy sword, 

By which victory in the field may be won % 
485 Shall thy bark not ride in the storm, 

Nor the song of thy rowers by me be heard % 

When my spirit is sinking in mist, 

When bows the cloud of war my bending hair, 

Shall I hear no more from the sons of song, 
490 " Yonder upon the sea is the ship of Morni's son V 
The song of maidens and the voice of bards 

No more shall arise to greet thee ; 

The mountains shall not see thy banner wave ; 

No cry nor song of thine shall now be heard. 
495 Thy hounds range not the mountain-side, 

Down at thy home in mournful plight they bide ; 

The antlered deer is on the plain, 

But they heed him not, because thou art no more. 

Ah ! fleet hounds, the hero hath departed ; 
500 His voice upon the moor ye shall not hear. 

Thus sleeps he now, nor careth for the chase ; 

The smiting of the shield, Gaul, shall not arouse 
What ayaileth the warrior's strength ? [thee ! 

Though he scatter as falling leaves the array of 
505 Though to-day he be terrible in the field, [battle, 

To-morrow the beetle shall triumph o'er him. 



82 TIOMNA GHUILL. 

Cuim', a dheoraidh, ghuidh thu dhut fein 

Treise Ghuill 'n a eldeadh-stailinn ] 

Tra dhealruich e mar eigh an gath-greine, 
510 'S gearr ge h-aoibhinn a dhearsadh. 

Mar neul ruiteach re an laoich ; 

Chi 'n sealgair, 's an oidhch' a' taosgadh. 

" 'S aluinn a dhreach mar bhogh' na frois I" 

Sheall e, 's cha 'n f haic e aogas. 
515 Luath mar fhireun an adhair, 

'S an ioma-ghaoth 'n a platliadh fo sgiathan, 

Shiubhail an dreach aillidh, 

'S'na aite tha 'n ceathach ciar-dhubh. 

Tuille ni'm mairionn do Gholl, 
520 Acli mairidh e 'm fonn nan teud ; 

Ni h-amhuil a's ceb air an f hrois 

Cliu. treise nan treun-laoch. 

Cairibh, a chlanna nan teud, 
Leaba Ghuill 's a dheo-greine lamb ris, 

525 Far am faicear innis o ehein, 

A's geugan os aird 'g a sgaileadh. 

Fo sgeith na daraig is guirme blath, 

Is luaitbe fas 's is buaine dreach, 

A bhriichdas a duilleach air anail na frois, 

530 'S an raon m' an cuairt d'i seargte. 
A duilleach o iomall na tire, 
Chitear le eoin an t-samhraidh ; 
Is laidhidh gach eun mar a thig 
Air barraibh na geige urair.* 

* Al. — g&ge na Strumhoin. 



GAUL. 83 

Why, stranger, for thine own self did'st thou 
For the might of Gaul in his mail of steel ] [pray- 
When like ice in the sun's ray it shone, 

510 Transient, though joyous, is the beam of his glory. 
Like a ruddy cloud is the hero's life ; [around it. 
The hunter beholds, and lo ! the night is shed 
"Fair," he cries, "as the rainbow is its form !" 
He gazes, and its face is no more seen. 

515 Swift as an eagle of the air, 

And the whirlwind in gusts beneath her wings, 
The beauteous form hath vanished away, 
And the dark black mist is in its room. 
Though no more alive be Gaul, 

520 He shall live in the music of strings ; 

Not fleeting as the mist upon the shower 
Is the fame of the valiant hero's might. 

Prepare, ye sons of the strings, 
The bed of Gaul, and of his sunbeam by him, 

525 Where the headland may be seen from afar, 
And branches on high o'ershadow it. 
Beneath the wings of an oak of greenest foliage, 
Of fastest growth and most enduring form, 
Which will shoot forth its leaves at the breath of the 

530 When the heath all around is withered. [shower, 
Its leaves from the land's farthest bounds 
Shall be seen by the birds of summer ; 
And each bird shall perch as it comes 
On the tops of its verdant bough. * 
* Al. — branches of Strumon. 



84 TIOMNA GHUILL. 

535 Cluinnidh Goll an ceilear 'n a cheb, 

'S bighean a' seinn air Aoibhir-chaomha ; 
'S gus an caochail gach ni dhiu so, 
Cha sgarar ur cuimhne bho cheile. 
Gus an crion gu luaithre a' chlach, 

540 'S an searg as le h-aois a* glieng so ; 
Gus an sguir na sruthain a ruith, 
'S an deabh mathair-uisge nan sleibhtean ; 
Gus an caillear an dilinn aois 
Gach filidh ; s dan a's aobliar sgeil ; 

545 Cha 'n fheoraich an t-aineol " Co mac Morna 1 W 
No " Cia i cbmhnaidh Ghuill nan lu-chonf * 
* Al. — rlgh na Stru-mhoin? 



GAUL. 85 

535 Gaul in his cloud shall hear their warbling, 
While maidens are singing of Evir-coma ; 
Until all of these shall pass away 
Your memory shall not be disunited. 
Till the stone shall crumble into dust, 

540 And this tree with age shall decay ; 

Till the flowing of the streams shall cease, 

And the source of the mountain-waters run dry ; 

Till is lost in the flood of time 

Each bard and song and theme of story ; 

545 The stranger shall not ask, " Who was Morni's son]" 
Or, " Where was the dwelling of Gaul of the fleet 
hounds r* 

* Al— the Chief of Strumon. 



[86] 



NOTES. 



DA EGO.— Part I. 

1. Dearg, 'red,' i.e., 'red-haired;' not an uncommon appel- 
lation. This Dargo was the son of Collath, and the most cele- 
brated of all who bore the name. Another poem in this collection 
is called Dearg mac Drui 'bheil. 

2. 'S e y g eisdeachd, lit., 'and he listening.' Cf. 1. 145, 9 s i *g 
am threigsinn, and numerous other instances. Two points of con- 
struction are here to be noticed — (1.) Ag, with the verb-noun 
infinitive instead of a pres. participle; as a' briseadh, 'frangens,' 
etc., lit., ' at breaking ' (or ' a breaking '). For the past part, iar 
is used, commonly mis written air (see on Gaul 30). So in Welsh, 
yn dysgu, ' docens ;' wedi dysgu, ' cum docuisset ;' and in the pas- 
sive, wedi fy mysgu (' after my teaching ')=' doctus ; ' whereas 
Gaelic has a real passive participle in -te, as glaiste, 1. 16. (2.) 
The use of agus (shortened to 's) with an infinitive, or even with 
an adjective or equivalent phrase without any verb, as 's e gu tinn, 
' and he sick,' etc. This may be variously rendered by a parti- 
ciple simply, or by a verb preceded by a conjunction, such as 
'when,' 'while,' 'as,' etc. ; for a few instances of which out of 
many see 1. 285; Part II. 120, 192; Gaul 96, 188, 272, 336, 
447. Sometimes this form is admissible in English, as in the 
translation I have given of Gaul 336, or in such a sentence as, 
" It 's past ten o'clock, and you not up yet ! " It is more common 
in lowland Scotch, e.g., Burns' Braes of Boon, 11. 3, 4 — 

" How can ye chant, ye little birds, 
And 1 sae weary fu' o' care ? " 

3. For the belief about ghosts, see Introduction. Cridh-min, 
'gentle' or 'tender heart.' This was Dargo's second wife (see 
Part II.) ; his first being Cridh-mor, ' large heart.' 

9. Cumhal=Caomhail, 'kindly.' He was the father of Fingal, 
who is therefore called ' Mac-Chumhail' (Fingal iv. 178, Covala, 
82, etc.) The same name, but belonging to another person, 
occurs in Fingal II. 465 foil., of whom it is said — 'Bha aghaidh 
cho seimh ri 6ighe,' 'Mild as a maiden's was his face.' 



NOTES. 87 

13. "In ancient times large flagstones were raised over the 
tombs of eminent persons. Many of these are still to be seen " 
(Smith). Cf. Fingal I. 187, c Tha ceithir clachan air Cath- 
baid taisgte 's an uaigh;' also v. 243. In Temora u. 545, three 
stones are mentioned. 

17. Tunis- fdile. The etymology is uncertain. It is probably 
1 the isle of the Falans, ' said to be an ancient Irish race (Fingal 
VI. 421, 'naPhailan Eirinn). Other derivations are — 1. 'Isle 
of fate? The lia-fdile was the f fatal stone ' on which the Irish 
kings were first crowned ; afterwards brought over to Dunstaff- 
nage, and thence to Scone, and finally, in 1300, to Westminster 
by Edward I., where it now forms part of the coronation chair. 
2. 'Isle of the jewel 1 (fail), i>e., 'the gem of the sea,' or the 
Emerald Isle (see Moore's Irish Melodies). Morven and Innis- 
fail were generally allied against Lochlinn. 

22. Beum-sgeith, the usual signal for battle. Cf. 212, 304 ; 
Gaul 120, etc. ; Fingal I. 51 foil. "The crann-tdra, or 'beam of 
gathering,' used for a signal of distress, was a piece of wood half 
burnt and dipt in blood " (Smith). All readers are familiar with 
the ' cross of fire ' in Scott's Lady of the Lake. 

39. Arsa (properly orsa, altered from or-se) is said to be for do 
radh se. Latin, inquit. 

41. Lochlann, Scandinavia or Norway. The derivation may 
be — (1.) 'Lake of swords' (cf. Cath-lodal. 230, 'Lochlann nan 
gorm lann') ; or, (2.) from linn, in reference to the Baltic, which 
is a sea-lake; or, (3.) lann may be Teutonic = land, i.e., 'land of 
lakes. ' 

42. '6r ar leireadh, lit., 'at our pursuit,' i.e., pursuing of us. 
Welsh, yn ein canlyn. See note on 1. 2, and cf. 1. 27, ' 'n ar 
cbmhdhail,' 31, ''n ar coinneamh.' 

46. Ear should be iar, as noir and ear both mean ' east. ' But 
perhaps ear should be retained on account of the rhyme with tear 
preceding, and noir might be altered to iar. 

49. Mbr-hheinn, "the great mountain," means the western 
Highlands generally, and not merely the small district now called 
Morven. The eastern boundary is said to have been Drumalbin, 
which is understood to mean "those high mountains which run 
from Lochlomond to the Frith of Tain" (Smith). 

53. The repetition of arsa Cumhal from 1. 39 is perhaps weak, 
but it serves to mark the transition from the preceding apos- 
trophe to the direct narrative. 

58. Lionor, shortened from lion-mhbr. 

59. Treunmor, 'fierce (and) mighty;' father of Cual, and 
grandfather of Eingal. His story is told in Fingal vi. 58 foil. 
The notion of fighting with ghosts and supernatural powers, even 



88 DAN AN DEIRG. 

with the gods themselves, was a familiar one in Scandinavian 
mythology. In Carricthura 298 foil., Fingal defeats the spirit- 
form of Loda (Odin), and cleaves him with his sword ; Cormar 
fights with the storm-spectre (Fingal in. 175). See also Gaul 
145. In Homer we find the heroes fighting with the gods, and 
wounding them, e.g., Diomede wounds Aphrodite and Ares 
(Iliad, Bk. v.) For the idea of ghosts pursuing their wonted 
earthly avocations see Introduction, and cf. v. 139, Gaul 290. 

64. The etymology of Ulainn is doubtful ; it may be from 
uile-bhinn 'all-melodious.' This is probable from the fact of 
proper names being always descriptive, as Oisian, which is sup- 
posed to be from seinn, ' to sing, ' Orran from bran, etc. (Clerk's 
Ossian). 

77. Air a chrathadh, lit., ' after its shaking ;' Welsh, yn crynu, 
yn ei siglo. See note on 1. 2. 

80. Rdite, a form of radii. It often means ' vain talk' (ver- 
bositas), and has something of that force here, since Dargo is 
impatient at not being recognised. 

84. Gealchas, 'white-foot.' It occurs as a feminine name in 
Fingal v. 272, the beloved of Ldmh-dhearg. 

86. Dean, thoir, etc., are often used with nouns for the simple 
tense of a verb, especially with such nouns as have no verbal 
form, as rinne guth, 'he spake,' etc. (Munro's G. Gram., p. 138). 
So thoir ionnsaidh = impetum facer e. Compare the English, 'do 
no murder,' for 'do not kill.' 

87. (also 99). Ghios should be dhios, as it stands for dh'fhios, 
lit. , ' to the knowledge of, ' hence ' towards. ' 

88. Bows were made of yew, as they are now. "Among the 
Highlanders of later times that which grew in the wood of 
Easragain, in Lorn, was esteemed the best. The feathers for 
the arrows were furnished by the eagles of Loch Treig, the wax 
for the string by Baile-na-gailbhinn, and the arrow-heads by the 
smiths of the race of Mac Pheidearain" (Smith). 

90. Mac na h-eilde. Cf. mac talla, 'echo ' ('son of the hall'), 
mac praisich, ' whisky ' ('son of the pot '), mac leabhair, 'volume 
of a book,' etc. 

96. I have altered chumhainn to chuimhne, 'remembrance,' 
because it makes the required sense, whereas cumhainn, 'narrow,' 
makes none at all ; and I have done this with greater confidence, 
as the same misreading occurs in Gaul 340, where there is no 
doubt as to the meaning. It will be observed that Dr. Smith 
omits this and the next three lines in his translation. 

99. Ghios for dhios. See on 1. 87. 'N ar cbmhdhail. See on 
1. 42. 

104. Air mo luasgadh. See on 1. 77. 



NOTES. 89 

107. Traghad, here in its primary meaning of 'ebb, ' from tragh, 
or traogh, ' to subside. ' Welsh, traeth. 

111. Distinguish foill, 'pursuit,' ivom. foill, 'treachery' (Gaul 
138). 

120. Crl-mora. See on 1. 3. 

126. Dr. Smith remarks that poetical descriptions, such as the 
following, combined with the natural features of the country act- 
ing upon a superstitious imagination, have tended to confirm High- 
landers in their pretensions to ' second sight. ' Be this as it may, 
the belief in 'wraiths,' or appearances of persons at the moment 
of their death, is very prevalent in Scotland, nor is it confined to 
that country. Some of those stories moreover are too well authen- 
ticated to be dismissed without at least some examination. 

129. An t-aobhar, i.e., to warn him of her death. See preced- 
ing note. 

135. Rinn fuireach. See on 1. 86. 

137. Fial. Hospitality was (and still is) a prominent High- 
land virtue ; hence fial and similar epithets are constantly 
recurring. Cf. Part n. 58, 70, 170. In Oina-morrul 102, 
Malorcol is termed slige nafial, 'the shell of hospitality' (unless 
Dr. Clerk's suggestion, fear-slige, be right). For 'the shell,' see 
on n. 15. Even enemies were not excepted, e.g., in Fingal I. 
517, Cuchullin invites his foe, Swaran, to join the feast ; and 
Fingal himself does the same on another occasion (ni. 338). 

145. '& i '# am threigsinn (also next line). See on 1. 2. 

155. Fo eislean, lit. , ' under heaviness. ' Cf. Cath-loda n. 16, 
' Bha m' anam, a rlgh, f o bhrbn. ' 

156. Cf. Fingal v. 490, ' Bha h-anam a' snamh an ceb,' and 
the same line in Temora vn. 401. 

161. 'Place,' i.e., accustomed abode, as formerly in English, — 
' And Abraham returned to his place ' (Gen. xviii. 33). 

163, 173. " The lake of Lanno in Scandinavia, and that of 
Lego in Ireland, were supposed to emit noxious vapours." Hence 
the form of imprecation, ' Ceb na Lanna 's na Leig ort ! ' ' The 
mist of Lanna and Lego alight on thee ! ' (Smith). Lego is 
described in the opening lines of Temora vrr. as a wooded lake, 
whence mists are ever rising, in which the souls of the dead are 
compelled to float until the songs of the bards arise to waft 
them upward. See on Gaul 159. 

174. i.e., ' Shall my death be celebrated in song,' in reference 
to the cumhadh or 'dirge,' 1. 171. 

175. I take this to mean, 'in this world and the next.' Cual 
desires that his fame may live after death in the song of 
bards. Cf. Gaul 520. 

177. Crann-taraidh. See on 1. 22. 



90 DAN AN DEIRG. 

183. Cf. iEsch., Septem contra Thebas 53, *ts "Agw ^xsrwy. 

187. Cf. Cath-loda I. 7. 'Mhalmhina nan teud. In II. 149 
of the same poem, Ullin is called, ' Ulainn nan clarsach 's nan 
dan.' 

188. Nan sgiath, a distinctive epithet of Trenmor (Cath-loda II. 
52, etc.), and also of Fingal. In Fingal iv. 126, the chieftain is 
said to ' lean upon the shield of Trenmor, the large broad shield 
of dusky hue.' Cf. Temorai. 733. 

189. Caoilte, probably from caol, 'slender,' i.e., 'swift' 
(irohat ukvs, like Achilles). In a lay called the Song of the 
Smithy (Duan na Ceardach), the story is told of his overtaking 
the Lochlinn smith Luno, from whom the Fingalians got their 
arms (Clerk's Ossian). See note on ' Mac an Luno,' Gaul 229. 

Mte, probably from eitidh, ' wild,' and perhaps the same 
locality as Loch Etive (Clerk). Or from eiteach, ' burnt 
heather' (?). 

192. Min-bheul, 'delicate mouth.' Cf. Min-onn n. 42, min- 
bhas, supra, 166, Cri-mine, etc. 

193. " The curach was a small boat made of wicker, and 
covered with hides." The coracle in which St. Columba sailed 
from Ireland has given its name to Port-a-churaich in Iona, where 
its bed is still shown (Smith). See Gaul 353. 

205. Lit., * rills of wailing.' 

206. Cf. 1. 227. In Carricthura 101, Shilric says that the 
hunter may rest by his tombstone, and take his meal there after 
the chase. 

211. Lit., 'it would cause uneasiness to the sea-fowl.' Deisinn 
(properly deistinn) is what causes disgust, or sets the teeth on 
edge. 

212. See on 1. 22. 

225. Dargo is supposed to ask this, but Culda is too absorbed 
with grief to heed him. It implies that he was kind to the boy, 
and taught him manly exercises. The bow might be cut from a 
yew-tree (1. 88) overhanging the tomb. 

227. Lit., ' as a resting-place from the chase upon the moor.' 
See on 1. 206. 

231. A's mi, etc. See on 1. 2. 

236. Lit., ' if my judgment is right.' 

238. Stuadh is 'a gable ;' hence anything high, as a cloud, a 
mountainous wave (stua* ghlas, 1. 45), etc. Can uinneig stuadhaich 
mean ' a window in the gable ' here ? 

245. Or c antlered deer' (?). Cf. Gaul 4S7. In Carthon 264, 
the chief towers in front of the host, ' mar cheannard ruadh-eilid 
nan cruach.' 

246. Eirinn, -prob. = iarinn (or iar-fhonn), 'western land.' 



NOTES. 91 

253. Caoireall, perhaps from the root car or gair, 'sound' 
(Clerk) ; G-reek, yr^vg. In Fingal I. Carill is Cuchullin's bard. 

254. Connal, ' impetuosity ' (Clerk). He is the friend of 
Cuchullin in Fingal. 

255. This was called the Brosnacliadh-catha, or 'instigation to 
battle.' Tacitus (Germania c. 3) describes the war-song of the 
ancient Germans, called by them barritus, of which he says, 
" Futurse pugnse fortunam ipso cantu augurantur . . . affec- 
tatur prsecipue asperitas soni et fractum murmur, objectis ad os 
scutis, quo plenior et gravior vox repercussu intumescat." The 
effect of the song of Tyrtseus upon the Spartans in their Mes- 
senian wars is a matter of history (Smith). In Fingal IV. 295 
Ullin is bidden to ' bear up the battle with song which arouseth 
war.' So Virgil, iEneid vi., describes Misenus as able ' aere 
ciere viros Martemque accendere cantu.' 

263. Geug is often used of a youth, especially of a maiden. 
Cf. Gaul 373, Fingal in. 143, etc. With the metaphor in this 
line compare Byron's Sennacherib — 

" As leaves in the forest, when autumn hath blown, 
That host on the morrow lay withered and strewn." 

268, foil. The Fingalians were generous enough to lament 
their foes, as well as their own men, if they had proved valiant. 
Fingal (v. 185) bids his sons 'raise high the memory of Orla,' 
though he was a Lochlinn warrior, and therefore an enemy. 

269. Feinne are the ' men of Fingal ' ; the name is identical 
with ' Fenian,' and might be so rendered, were it not for the 
modern association of the latter word. As a leader of Ossianic 
poetry their leader is styled Fionn, and sometimes Fionn-ghael, 
' the fair stranger ' (see Gaul 65); or possibly from fionn-gheal, a 
primitive form of the superlative = ' very fair ' (Clerk). 

The Tuireadh Armhoir is also called Cumhadh an Fhir 
mlibir. 

272. Dr. Smith cites Amos ii. 9, ' His height was as the 
height of cedars, his strength was as the strength of oaks.' 

273. Cf. 2 Sam. i. 23 (lament over Saul and Jonathan), 'They 
were swifter than eagles ' ; Calhon and Covala 274, ' Bha 'n 
neartsa mar iolair nan speur.' 

274. " Loda is supposed to have been the Odin of the Scandina- 
vians" (Smith). The story of the Cruth-Loduinn in Carrictliura 
points to a Norse origin. 

291. Dr. Smith quotes Thomson, Summer, 941 foil. — 

" Day after day 
Sad on the jutting eminence he sits, 

H 



92 DAN AN DEIRG. 

And views the main that ever toils below ; 
Still fondly forming on the farthest verge . . . 
Ships dim-discovered, dropping from the clouds." 

292. Fiamh-gJiaire, lit., 'a slight tinge of a laugh,' i.e., ' smile.' 
294 Cuir, an auxiliary verb, like dean, etc. (see on 1. 86) ; 
lit. , ' put ' or ' make greeting.' So rtfafju is sometimes used, as 
faTvcu ffxiboKTiv, oJvov etc., = <r* r Cbct<Ta,i, ztvuv etc. 

295. Lit., 'and she clasping,' etc. (see on 1. 2). In Temora 
III. 232 the wife of Turla vainly in dreams expects her lord's 
return — 

c A bhean ghasda an aislinge faoin 
A 'sgaoileadh aig baile a lamhan.' 

302. So Moschus in. 116, says of the slumber of the tomb — 

avoixoot tv %6ou x,oi\a 

305. The ' narrow house ' is a common expression for ' the 
grave' in Ossianic poetry. See 1. 316, below. 

306. Lit., 'in spite of each conflict,' etc. 

311. Eighe comhraig, also called gaoir-chatha (Smith). See 
note on 1. 255. 

314- Laighean is either Leinster or a part of Ulster (the 
Lagenia of Ptolemy). It seems as if the reading here were a 
mistake for Lochlann, as Armor was a chief of that country. 
Dr. Smith, in his translation, says "king of Lochlinn," though 
he puts Loi 'eann in his Gaelic text. In a letter of 1798 (High- 
land Society's Report on Ossian, 1805) he observes that the 
term Lochlinn is often wrongly used ; e.g., a certain Connal 
Gulbann is called 'mac rlgh Lochlann,' instead of Laigheann. 
Here therefore the mistake may be just the other way. 

315. Lit., ' many were the pursuits made by him ;' cuir ruaig 
being equivalent to a simple verb. See on v. 294. After this 
line the first four lines of the Lament are repeated. ' ' The bards 
frequently conclude their episodes with a repetition of the first 
stanza" (Smith). 

319, i.e., even the masts seem to mourn in concert. This 
ascribing of a touch of feeling to inanimate nature is a common 
poetical device, but always effective. 

PART II. 

1-12, Paraphrase. { The tales of old are as light and comfort 
to the bard amid conflict and trouble ; but the joy is but tran- 



NOTES. 93 

sient, and gloom again succeeds. ' Compare the opening lines of 
Oina-morrul, ' Like the light of heaven came the tale of departed 
heroes upon my soul in the darkness,' etc. 

11. Fhir-mhoir, perhaps 'the battle of heroes ;' but Dr. Smith 
translates it as the name of a place. 

15. "The Highlanders drank out of scallop-shells; hence the 
'putting round the shell' came to be the phrase for making 
merry" (Smith). Cf. Gaul 34, and see note on I. 137. In Cath- 
loda i. 261 Loda is represented as handing round the shell to all 
brave heroes. 

17. Lit., ' a voice of wailing by turns came to our ears upon 
the wings of the breeze.' I have transferred uair seach uair as 
an epithet to gaoithe. 

19. Suil-mhaith, ' good,' i.e., 'keen eye.' 

24. Lit., 'without thought of rising.' Luadh is an object of 
mention, thought, or care ; hence it often means ' praise,' as in 
Gaul 230, gun luadh. 

26. Freagairt, i.e., in sympathy with her cry. 

29. Cruit-chiuil, 'instrument of song;' Welsh, crwth, an an- 
cient stringed instrument. Cf. inneal-ciuil, 1. 112. 

32. Fug- (or eag-) samhuil, 'unlike;' hence either 'variable' 
or 'unequalled.' It also means 'mournful,' and such might be 
its sense here. Zeuss derives it from co-smuil ( = co-similis), with 
the prefix e, i.e., non-similis. 

35. In Calhoun and Covala 234 the ghost of Colmar appears, 
showing his wound ; that of Crugal (Fingal II. 18) has ' a 
cavernous wound in his breast.' Cf. Virgil, ^Eneid i. 355, where 
Sichseus appears to Dido, and ' lays bare his breast, pierced by 
the sword.' 

36. Cf. I. 139. In Cath-loda II. 135 the shades of heroes are 
described as ' pursuing phantom boars of mist on the wings of 
winds. 

37. Mor-ghlan, 'great (and) bright,' i.e., 'illustrious (clarus). 
Glan is also Welsh for ' pure,' etc., as Yspryd Glan, ' the Holy 
Spirit ;' it is the English clean. 

38. SUa' ghlais, perhaps sliabh-glas, 'grey mountain-land.' 

39. For Morven, see as I. 50. 

41. Gun ohaigh, properly 'cruel,' or 'relentless.' Cf. 1.194. 
Here it implies want of regard for his love, in leaving her at 
home all alone. 

46. Le = leatha, ' by her.' 

50. "It was customary to place implements of the chase and 
war in the tomb with the bodies of the deceased ; both to denote 
the occupation they had in this world, and with a view to avail 
themselves of their service in the next. Hence pieces of spears, 



94 DAN AN DEIRG. 

arrowheads, etc., are found in barrows." In Virgil, JEn. VI. 132, 
at the funeral of Misenus, it is said — 

* At pius iEneas ingenti mole sepulcrum 
Imponit, suaque armo viro, remumque tubamque, 
Monte sub aerio.' (Smith). 

Ossian (Fingal iv. 241) charges his son Oscar to lay in the grave 
his sword, bow, and deerhorn ; and in Temora I. 376, Oscar's 
dying injunctions are — 

' Cuir cabar an ruaidh rium fein, 
Lann thana nam beum ri m' thaobh.' 

56. After this line the first four are repeated. (See on I. 315). 
71. Nach V fhiu learn, lit., 'who were of no value to me.' 
73. Compare the language of Andromache to Hector (Homer, 
II. VI. 459)— 

"Exroeos ri^z yvtv\, etr. 
Also that of Tecmessa in Sophocles, Ajax 1. 500 — 
x,ot,i <ri; <Vi/cpov Trpocrtphy/aoc, diffTforav \pu 

"Aiuvrosy os f&iyurrov 'U^vitz cr^ccrov. 

81. Or Leana, the name of a place. 

85. Conan (as Dr. Armstrong says) was "the Thersites of the 
Fingalians," and is always mentioned with contempt. In 
Fingal VI. 399 he is termed 'Conan gun chliu; he there re- 
proaches Cuchullin with cowardice, and demands his armour, 
for which Fingal rebukes him. In the Manos (one of the 
present collection) he is the hero of a ridiculous duel, in which 
he loses his ears ; hence is called maol, i.e., l cropped Conan.' 

98. I have given what appears to be the sense of this line, but 
I was not sure as to the literal rendering. It has however 
been suggested to me that da dhi should be altered to <Fa dhith, 
and that the meaning is, ' I pledge my hand that he shall lose 
his head.' If so, the translation I offer will fairly represent the 
idea intended to be conveyed. At any rate, Smith's text as it 
stands is clearly wrong. 

101. Lit., f mournful and heavy were our songs for the chief.' 
"Among the ancient Highlanders funeral processions were 
accompanied with mournful songs. This custom is not quite 
extinct in Ireland " (Smith). 



NOTES. 95 

109. Meall eigli, ' a lump of ice." 
112. See on 1. 29. 

114. 'On his elbow,' omitted in the translation. 

115. Dr. Smith prefers ealaidh to the other reading, filidli. 
He observes that the singing of the swan before death is a very 
universal idea with the Greek and Latin, as well as the Celtic 
poets. He quotes a ditty called Luinneag net h-ealaiclk, com- 
posed in imitation of the swan's note, which is called Guileag. 
It begins thus — 



Guileag i, guileag o, 

Sgeula mo dhunaigh, 
Guileag i, 

Rinn mo leire', 
Guileag o, 

Mo chasan dubh, 
Guileag i, 

'S mi fein gle'-gheal. 
Guileag 6, etc. 



Tale of my mischance, 
Hath wrought my pain. 
My dark path. 
Is white enough for me. 



Here the word guileag is both the burden of the song, and also 
suggests guil, ' weeping ;' the other lines are expressions of woe, 
not very closely connected. In the Story of Arion (Fasti, n. 
109) Ovid introduces the simile — 

' Flebilibus veluti numeris canentia dura 
Trajectus penna tempora cantat olor.' 

131. Lit., 'with no root in life but one to the two flowers,' etc. 

132. Lit., ' Beauteous w ith themselves was their growth,' i.e., 
they knew their own beauty and were proud of it. For the mean- 
ing of le, with pronouns (learn, etc.), see on Gaul 407. Leo fein 
could also mean, ' by themselves,' i.e., * all alone,' and then the 
line would mean, 'Beauteous, yet lonely, is their growth,' which 
is, I think, the way Dr. Smith takes it. 

137. Or, 'my head,' etc. The flower and the maiden, the 
simile and the thing signified, are here blended in one. 

144. te Car tual is an allusion to the Druidical custom of going 
round their circles and cairns. The deis-iul, or ' turning to the 
south ' in the same course with the sun, was reckoned lucky ; 
the reverse (or car-tual) unlucky " (Smith). 

146. Ld bhrath, ' day of burning,' i.e., the end of the world. 
Hence gu brdth, 'for ever.' Cf. the Latin hymn — 

' Dies ira? dies ilia sol vet sreclum in fa villa.' 
152. Thirty lit., 'sick.' Thus, seger, yofuv, etc., are applied to 



96 DAN AN DEIRG. 

a disastrous state of affairs, especially political, as cegra res* 
publico,, votfouvra, vr^oiyfAotroi, etc. 

Learn is what in the Latin Grammar is called the Dativus 
Ethicus. It implies that the person takes an interest in the 
matter='to my mind,' or 'feelings.' Thus, in the sentence, 
'Quid mihi Celsus agit,' mild means 'Celsus in whom I am 
interested ; so in Greek p.01 is similarly used. 

156. Ghuir gu stad, ' brought to a stand' (J<rrdvui) ; a peri- 
phrasis for the simple verb. See on I. 86, 315. 

158. ' Mourning,' i.e., for my absence. (See next line). 

160. Lit., ' dearer were it for myself to go to death,' etc. For 
the sentiment, cf. Gaul 391 foil. Dr. Smith quotes an epitaph 
by Boetius Torquatus, of the eighth century, which ends thus — 

c Ut thalami cumulique comes, nee (qy., ne or neu) morte revellar, 
Et socios vitas nectat uterque cinis.' (Cf. 1. 167). 

163. Lit., 'to my rending.' See on I. 2, 42. 

169. These eight lines are omitted in Smith's translation. 

170. Fial. See on I. 137. 

172. Gun athadh, 'without shame,' or 'compunction,' i.e., 'do 
not hesitate.' Compare a similar use of ne pudeat in Virgil, 
Georg. i. 80 — ' Ne saturare fimo pingui pudeat sola,' etc., i.e., 
' have no hesitation ' about it. 

175. 'Dearer,' i.e., than any other garment. The comparison 
is suggested by the mention of the shroud to be woven for her 
(in the preceding line). 

190. Gun ghean, ' without mirth, i.e., 'joyless.' Cf. 1. 146. 

191. Mise, the bard, probably Ullin. (See Introduction, p. xxi.) 

192. Compare I. 3. Here the first two lines are repeated. 
(See on I. 315.) 



[97] 



GAUL. 

Tiomna Ghuill is the Testament or Last Act of Gaul. 

The poem is generally known in English as the Death of Gaul. 
Dr. Smith observes that Gaul, the son of Morni, is much cele- 
brated in Ossian's other poems. The chief notices of him are 
as follows : — In Lathmon Gaul is introduced in his first battle 
against Lathmon, a British chief, who had attacked Morven in 
Fingal's absence. With the aid of Ossian he took Lathmon pri- 
soner, but saved his life. Hence a friendship arose between 
them ; and Gaul, having followed the chief into his own land, 
fell in love with his daughter Oithona, but was soon compelled 
to leave her, in order to join Fingal in a new war. Meanwhile 
Dunromath of Uthal carried off Oithona, and Gaul on his return 
invaded his dominions to avenge the insult. Oithona, joining 
the battle contrary to Gaul's wish, was slain, and Gaul mourned 
her loss (Poem of Oithona). He afterwards obtained the com- 
mand of the army against Swaran, but was nearly defeated, 
when Fingal came to the rescue, overcame Swaran, bound him, 
and gave him in charge to Ossian and Gaul (Fingal in. , rv. , v. ) 
In Temora in. he again commands the army against the Irish, 
and performs deeds of renowm, but is wounded during the battle. 
His name, with that of Fillan, son of Fingal, is selected for special 
praise in this Duan. 

" In poems of later date his warlike character is often alluded 
to. John Barbour, who wrote the life of Robert Bruce in 1375, 
compares his hero to Gaul the son of Morni — Goiv mac Morn " 
(Smith). Barbour also speaks of Gaul fighting against Fingal. 
This is from a tradition that there was originally a feud between 
the tribes of these two chiefs, but that they afterwards became 
firm allies. 

6. Dr. Smith quotes some lines from the fourth book of Lucre- 
tius which describe hounds pursuing the chase in dreams, as is 
shown by their gestures and the motion of their limbs — 

" Expergefactique sequuntur inania ssepe 

Cervorum simulacra, fugse quasi dedita cernant ; 
Donee discussis redeant erroribus ad se." 

9. Luath was a common name for a hound. Cf. 1. 546. Fin- 
gal's hounds are called Neart, Ciar } and Luath — i.e., Strong, 
Brown, and Swift (Fingal VI. 341). Luath is also the name of 
Cuchullin's dog in Fingal II. 186. 



98 TIOMNA GHUILL. 

10. Dean a dhusgadh, instead of the simple verb (Dargo I. 86). 
Thus we might say, Ni mi do cheann a bhriseadh, ' I will break 
your head' (Munro's G. Gram., p. 138). 

14. Lit., ' morning nor (its) light.' 

21. Compare address to the sun in Carthon, 'when thou 
tremblest in the west at thy dasJcy doors in the ocean ' (Mac- 
pherson). 

23 foil. Two reasons are given why the sun should ' spare his 
rays : ' first, lest he should be deserted by them (as Ossian had 
been by his friends) if he spent them too lavishly ; secondly, be- 
cause they were but wasted upon the world, now that no heroes 
were left to enjoy them. 

27. Cona is celebrated in connection with Ossian, who is often 
called ' the voice of Cona.' It is identified with Glencoe, and 
thus Dr. Clerk's derivation from comh-amhuinn, ' confluence of 
streams ' (cf. 1. 45), is a probable one, since that glen is noted for 
the number of small rills that meet there. The other derivation, 
from caoidh, ' wailing,' may also refer to the murmur of the 
waters (cf. Sruthan brbin in Dargo I. 205), but is very likely a 
modern one suggested by the Glencoe massacre of 1692. 

30. Here and elsewhere (as in 1. 60) air should probably be 
iar, which denotes a past action. Air, 'upon,' ought to signify 
an action still going on, as air treigsinn, 'forsaking;' but iar 
treigsinn, 'having forsaken.' Iar is 'behind,' i.e., 'after,' like 
the Welsh wedi, as in wedi bod, ' having been ' (see on Dargo I. 
2) ; but I have not altered it in the text. 

34. Selma (Sealla-math), 'a beautiful view;' Taura (perhaps 
Tigh air eirthir), 'house on the sea-coast;' Temora (Tigh mbr 
rlgh), 'royal palace' (Smith). For the last word Dr. Clerk sug- 
gests teamhair, 'pleasant,' or teamhra-rath, 'pleasant fort,' modern- 
ised in Irish into Tara. In the preface to M'Callum's collection 
it is remarked that Selma was in the district of Argyle called 
Upper Lorn, upon an eminence near the sea, about half-way be- 
tween the mouths of Lochs Etive and Creran. Between the 
two hills stood Beregonium, once the capital of the Highlands. 
Selma is said to have been destroyed in Eingal's time by fire or 
lightning. With the desolation of Selma compare that of Morni 
in Carthon 165 foil. 

55. See note on beum-sgeithe, Dargo I. 22 ; and cf. Temora iv. 
399, ' Copan caismeachd a sgelthe, Aite comhnuidh guth ciar nam 
blar,' 'the warning boss, wherein dwelt the dark voice of war.' 

60. For air see on 1. 30. 

64. Cf. Virg., iEn. I. 490, ' lunatis agmina peltis ;' also the old 
English ballad of Agilthorn, 'his moony shield.' 

65. Goll (Gaul), 'a stranger.' See on Fionn-ghael, Dargo, I. 



NOTES. 99 

269. The term Gall is now applied to the Lowlanders, but Gael 
has really the same meaning, and originated from the fact that 
the Celts were the first Aryan tribe who passed into Europe, and 
gave the name to Gaul, which was one of their principal settle- 
ments. In like manner the Germans applied the term Walsch 
(Welsh) to all who did not speak their language, in contradistinc- 
tion to their own name, Theodisc (from Theod, ' people '), whence 
came Teuton and Deutsch. We have the word in ' wal-nut ' (gall- 
cnu), lit., * foreign nut.' 

66. Oscar, perhaps from oscarra, ' fierce.' He was the son of 
Ossian, and grandson of Fingal. His exploits in company with 
Gaul are told in Fingal iv. 217 foil. His last battle was with 
Cairbar in Ireland, in which he and Cairbar fell by mutual wounds 
(Temora, Duan 1). To this 1. 68 alludes. 

70. Malvina (mala-min y ' smooth brow ') was the daughter of 
Toscar, and Oscar's betrothed. After his death she became the 
solace of Ossian's old age and the inspirer of his song. Cf . Oath- 
loda I. 8, ' Mhalmhina nan teud, thig gu d' bhard, Till anam do 
bhaird air ais,' etc. Dr. Smith cites her lament for Oscar in Croma. 

73. Cf. Dargo n. 44. 

88. i.e. (As Dr. Smith paraphrases it), " The water of Strumon 
rolled its flood, and who could cross its mighty tide ?" In Temora 
m. 415, Carhon's flight is impeded by a mountain stream which 
he could not cross. 

89. I-frebine. The derivation is uncertain. Dr. Smith quotes 
some old lines, which describe it as a land full of horrors, such as 
were attributed to the Celtic hell. This was called Ifrinn, said 
to be from I-fhuar-inn (fhonn), ' the cold land,' but apparently 
a mere variation of infernus. The name I-frebine may have been 
influenced by such an association, as the inhabitants were always 
noted for their savage and inhospitable ways. Smith observes 
that there is still a valley near the Clyde called Glen-freoin, and 
that the people of this region were hostile to Morven. i" or Innis 
is a 'headland' as well as 'an island' (as in Craig-insh, etc.), 
and also ' a pasture.' 

98. In Golnandona 9 the maiden is described as having ' a 
hand white as the foam upon tumbling waters.' In Fingal ni. 
48 Starno says of his daughter, ' Cho geal a ruighe 's an cobko.r 
air druim a' chuain.' 

100. Crbnan; hence to 'croon,' or sing a lullaby. 

102. Aoibhir-chaomh, 'pleasant and soft face.' She was "the 
spouse of Gaul, and daughter of Casduconglas " (Smith). See 
I. 341 foil., Temora in. Dr. Clerk observes that aoibhir is a 
common prefix to female names, followed by some epithet, as 
tiluinn, etc. 



100 TIOMNA GHUILL. 

106. Morna, probably from muirn, ' hospitality.' It occurs as 
a feminine name (Morna, daughter of Cormac) in Fingal I. 

107. Compare the parting of Hector and Andromache in 
Homer, II. vi. 495— eiko^os Ts. (pi\y\ oJxov^s fitfifatt hr^oLXi^o- 

108. Stru-mhon = sruth-monadh, 'moor of streams.' Cf.' 1. 
241, ' monadh nan sruth.' 

117. Lit., 'this separated ('put apart/ see on Dargo I. 86) the 
hero from us.' 

118. 'S e siubhal, 'and he travelling.' See on Dargo I. 2. 
123. In Fingal ill. 396 foil., Ossian contrasts his youthful 

might with the weakness of age, ' Bha Oisean mar charragh 's a' 
chbmhraig,' etc. " Ossian like a rock came down. I exulted in 
the strength of the king. Many were the deaths of mine arm, 
dismal the gleam of my sword. My locks were not then so gray, 
nor trembled my hand with age" (Macpherson). See also the 
opening lines of Calhon and Covala, preceding the account of 
Ossian's fight with Dunalmo. 

132. Sruthan nan ioma-ghaoth, lit., 'streams of the whirlwinds.' 
The genitive often marks a definition or description, where we 
should use an epithet or some equivalent phrase. Nearly all such 
instances may be ranked under the idea of possession, as here — 
' the streams belonging to the whirlwinds,' i.e., ' over which they 
have sway.' Cf. lorg aosda (124), ' staff of age,' = ' old man's staff,' 
and such common expressions as mac mo chridhe, mo ghaoil, etc., 
for ' beloved son, ' etc. 

133. Giuthas Chaothain, i.e., any pine ; but ' Cona ' is added, 
partly because of its connection with Ossian, and partly from 
the poetical usage which particularises a general description by 
the addition of a local epithet. Thus we have in Dargo I. 133 
(variant reading), ' Cona's vale;' ib. 163, 'Lanno's wave;' 
258, 'oak of Malmor ; ' II. 110, 'Mora's plain;' Gaul 305, 
'Ulla's rock.' Virgil is very fond of this device, e.g., Eel. I. 55, 
Hyblwis apibus ; IX. 30, Cyrnceas taxos ; Georg. I. 120, Strymoniaz 
grues ; -ZEn. v. 306, Gnosia spicula, etc.; sometimes even 
when the locality is inappropriate, as in Georg. in. 345, where 
a ' Spartan hound and a Cretan quiver ' are given to an African 
herdsman. 

134. Compare Malvina's simile in Croma, 24 — 'I was a fair 
tree with fragrant branches,' etc. 

137. Cf. Darthula, 31, " Where have ye been, ye southern 
winds, when the sons of my love were deceived ? But ye have 
been sporting on the plains, pursuing the thistle's beard." 
(Macpherson). The original of this form of complaint is in 
Theocritus, Idyll I. 66, *«, <xok a£ %f oko, Aoityvis irdx&roj <roi 



NOTES. 101 

vroxec, XvpQcci i imitated by Virgil, Eel. X. 9, ' Quae nemora aut 
qui vos saltus habuere, puellae V and by Milton, Lycidas 50 — 

' Where were ye, nymphs, when the remorseless deep 
Closed o'er the head of your loved Lycidas ?' 

138. Foill. See note on Dargo I. 111. 

144. Lit., 'with the desire of our detention.' See on Dargo 
I. 42. 

145. So Fingal Carricthura 299) sends his sword through the 
spectre-form of Loda. See on Dargo I. 59. 

147. Lit., 'in their mention.' For luadh, see Dargo II. 24. 

150. Dr. Smith quotes from Hesiod, Opera et Dies 446, where 
'the crane's plaintive cry' is said to prognosticate a storm. 
Here, however, it is merely introduced by way of simile, not 
as a portent. 

Iom-cheist G-huill. lom-cheist (or im-cheist) is literally, 
'much questioning,' or 'questioning around,' hence 'anxiety.' 
loma, 'many,' has also the sense of 'round about,' as in ioma- 
ghaoth, and of ' complete,' as iom-lan (slcln), ' quite sound.' 
Compare the Greek *rgg} } in vigixaXXiii, ' very fair,' etc., and the 
Latin per, in pergratus, permagnus, etc. 

159. If heroes died without the song of bards, they were 
denied admission to the state of bliss. In Temora in. 185 foil., 
the bards are forbidden to raise the song over the foes of Cairbar, 
whose consequent destiny would be to wander beside the Lake 
of Lego, since, ' without the song they shall not rise to the halls 
of winds.' In 1. 430 of the same Duan, Connal will not leave 
his father's tomb until a bard appears to give him his fame ; and, 
in Duan I., Cairbar is refused the song, and therefore dwells in 
darkness, till Ossian (n. 471) generously orders the bards to 
praise him. In Duan v., Foldath desires that Fingal may die 
unhonoured, and that for him ' no death-song may arise, but that 
his ghost may wander in gloom in the mist which surrounds the 
reedy pool.' One marked exception to this general feeling 
occurs in Fingal vi. 245 foil., where the chief, moralising upon 
the vanity of human greatness, exclaims — ' Our names shall not 
dwell in the music of songs, hut ive heed not their praise when 
we lie nerveless beneath the knoll. ' That this is only a passing 
thought is shown in the very next line, where he bids the bards 
celebrate the memory of fallen warriors, and of the days that 
are no more. 

165. The allusion is to Fingal IV. 193 foil., where Fingal 
urges his sons to imitate the heroism of Gaul. Also in Temora 



102 TIOMNA GHUILL. 

in. 76, after Gaul had been entrusted with the command, comes 
the twice repeated injunction — 

' Fhillein, seallsa air an triath ! ' 

166. Morni was now dead (see 1. 415 foil.) He is mentioned 
as a very old man at the time of Gaul's first battle in Lathmon. 

182. Og'uill, 'young Gaul/ Gaul's infant son. Being a child, 
he had not yet earned a distinctive name. 

186. Lathmon was the son of Nuath. The occasion is the one 
already referred to. (See Introduction to Gaul.) 

194. Lann athar. There seems to be an oversight here ; pos- 
sibly the result of varying editions. In 1. 153 Gaul complains 
that he has no sword. 

198. Eoin na K-ealtainn, 'birds of flocks,' i.e., 'flocking birds.' 
See note on the Gaelic genitive, 1. 132. 

199. Nach fac, a common poetical form of introducing a 
simile, like the Greek ob% oguas-, (Hesiod), and the Latin Nonne 
rides ? (Virgil). There is a variant reading of the simile (which 
I have not preserved), substantially the same with that in the 
text, which begins, 'Mar thonn gailbheach geal Bi slios muice 
moire,' etc. 

211. Dr. Clerk, in one of his notes on Ossian, observes that 
corran is an old word for some kind of arrow. 

212. Mdgh. So in heraldry the 'field' is the surface of the 
shield on which the devices are drawn. 

217. "Pillars of stone were frequently erected by the con- 
querors in the field of battle. Many of these obelisks are still to 
be seen " (Smith). The process is described in GolnandonaZb 
foil. — "I chose a stone from Crona's brook — beneath it I 
placed at intervals three bosses from the shields of foes — Toscar 
laid in the earth a shield and a dark blue mail of hard steel. 
We heaped up the mould around the stone, to tell our fame to 
the ages." In Temora VII. 397 foil., Fingal, after resigning his 
spear to Ossian, erects a stone "to speak to future times," and 
buries underneath a sword and a boss from his shield. 

220. Lit., 'and he in solitude.' SeeonDargoi. 2. 

229. Cf. Carricthura 298 (fight with the spirit of Loda) — 

' Ghabh Fionnghal 'n a aghaidh le colg, 
A chlaidheamh glan gorm 'n a laimh, 
Mac an Luinn, bu chiar-dhubh gruaidh.' 

The name, ' son of Luno,' came from the Scandinavian smith, 
Luno, referred to on Bar go I. 189, q.v. Dr. Clerk compares 
King Arthur's Eoccalibur ; and says that the name, Loinn mac 



NOTES. 103 

Uobhaidh, 'son of polishing' [llobhaidh=levis) is perhaps Celtic 
for Vcelund, or Wa viand Smith, the mythic discoverer of iron 
among the northern nations. However this may be, the legends 
of Luno and Vcehmd have much in common, e.g., the Swedish 
king, Xiduth, carries off Vcelund and forces him to work for 
himself and his people, and though the smith forges many 
excellent swords, there is one which surpasses all the rest. 
This is the older account, as given in the Vcelundar-quida, but 
in the more modern Wilkina-saga ^13th or 14th century) Vcelund 
hides the real sword, and puts off the king with an inferior one. 

231. ' S e mosgladh. See on Dargo I. 2. 

241. Monadh nan smth. See on 1. 108. 

252. Mac-talla, 'son of the hall,' or 'of the rock.' (See 
Dargo I. 90. 

259. Gu cf ghreasad, lit., 'to thy hastening,' like 9 n ar cbmhd.- 
hail, 'n ar coinneamh, Dargo I. 27, 31. 

272. Dr. Clerk gives three possible derivations of Cromlech, 
of which he prefers the first — 1. Circle of stones (crom-leac) ; 
2. stone of bowing (worslnpping), from crom, 'to bend ;' 3. a 
bent flagstone, from the adjective, crom. In Carricthura 213, 
we have the Crom Chruth-Loduinn, 'circle of the Form of 
Loda. ' 

276. Lit., 'takes to motion,' instead of a simple verb. See on 
Dargo I. 86. 

291. For the idea or ghosts pursuing their avocations, as on 
earth, see Introduction, and cf. Dargo I. 59, 139. 

297. Compare a passage in Shelley's poem, 'The Cloud' — 

' The stars peep oehind her [the moon] and peer ; 
And I laugh to see them whirl and flee 
Like a swarm of golden bees, 
When I widen the rent in my wind-built tent,' etc. 

304. Gun fhios, or 'unperceived ;' lit., ' without knowledge.' 

305. Ulacha, possibly from via, 'long grass' {Dargo I. 332). 
307. Dr. Smith cites Thomson, Spring 973 — 

'•' Away they fly 
Affectionate, and undesiring bear 
The most delicious morsel to their young." 

316. Dean innse. See on Dargo I. 86. 

317. " Barbari hi (Celtse) contendunt et esse deos . . . et 
proesignificare futura, magna ex parte per in somnia et stellas " 
(iElian n. 31, quoted by Smith). 

338. For the character of the inhabitants of I-frona, see on 
1. 89. 



104 TIOMNA GHUILL. 

340. Cuimhne, altered from cumhainn, for reason given on 
Bar go I. 96. 

344. Cri-soluis, ' heart of light' (1. 355). This introduction of 
the name of the heroine of the tale in a parenthesis, as a kind of 
afterthought, is very awkward. It is prosaic in the Gaelic, and 
cannot be made otherwise in a translation. The variant reading 
* chaidh ar curach,' etc., seems to be almost required in the text ; 
it might even be substituted for the present line, since the pre- 
sence of Crisollis is clearly marked in 1. 349. 

348. Lit., ' made no tasting (Dargo I. 86), though he plucked 
them.' Cf. 1. 307. 

353. Ourach. See on Dargo I. 193. 

362. I-dronlo, perhaps 'isle of the dull (heavy) water.' Tromlo 
occurs in Croma 130 ; and lo is Irish for lighe, ' water.' Sar- 
dronlo is a Scandinavian isle in Oinnamorul, of which Tormod 
was king. 

363. Sgeula mo ghrdidh, lit., ' tale of my love.' See on 1. 132. 
373. For geug, 'a maiden,' see on Dargo I. 163. In Oar- 

ricthura 334 Covala is called l geug nan rosg mall.' 

378. ' Without children of his own, and, therefore, wanting in 

a father's tenderness. 

380. " Humming the song of the cruel" (Smith's paraphrase). 
382. i.e., ' my strength is dried up like a stream in summer.' 
393. Compare the words of Crimina, Dargo n. 167. 
400. Lit., ' Ogal's voice, and he wretched without comfort.' 

See on Dargo I. 2. 

407. Lit., ' (It is) to me (i.e., I feel) that thy heart is beating.' 

Is learn, leat, etc., with adjectives, = ' I think so and so ; ' as is mbr 

learn e, ' I think it a great deal ; ' is tagh learn e, ' I like it,' etc., 

etc. See on Dargo n. 152. 

414. Mar neul, i.e., the mist which the sun dispels. 

415. Mise, i.e., Ossian. Cf. Dargo II. 191. 

420. ' Streams of age,' i.e., i each furrow in his aged face was 
wet with tears.' 

430. A cheum, the path indicated by the direction of his flight. 

435. " The cnap-starra was a ball of brass fastened to the 
lower end of the spear, in order to terrify the enemy with the 
noise of it when shaken" (Smith, from Dion Cassius). 

439. I have used the word ' hardly ' in its old sense of 'with 
difficulty; Lat., vix, cegre Cf. Acts xxvii. 8, "And hardly 
passing it," etc. 

451. A oibhir-aluinn, 'pleasant (and) fair.' See on 1.102. The 
story of Ossian's wooing of her at the court of her father Branno, 
king of Lego, is told in Fingal IV. 16 foil. 

454. Cds-shruth. See note on Cona, 1. 27. 



NOTES. 105 

456. Cruit-chiuil. See on Dargo II. 29. 

464. Cos-ullamh, ' ready,' or 'nimble foot,' name of a hound. 

468. Mae na h-eilde. See on Bar go I. 90. 

474. ' Ooze,' lit., l milh of the rock.' 

478. From sranna comes sranna-ghaoth, ' whirlwind ' (Dargo 
I. 77). The word is formed from the sound, like the 'scrannel 
pipes ' in Milton's Lycidas 124. 

487. Ceo, 'mist,'*.e., 'bewilderment,' 'anxiety' (Dargo I. 156). 
When Fingal is distressed in the fight, he will no longer be able to 
expect Gaul's aid. 

488. Distinguish air, genitive of dr, from air, 'upon.' 

492. Ad chomhdhail, ' to thy meeting. ' Cf. Dargo 27, 31, 42, 99. 
496. So, in Temora I. 361, the dogs Bran and Luath mourn 
Oscar's death — 'Bha Bran a' donnalaich r' a thaobh Luath grua- 
mach nan raon fo bhrbn.' 

498. Lit., 'it is not worth while for them to see,' etc. See 
Dargo II. 71. 

499. Lu-clioin is singular, but the plural pronoun sibh shows 
that more than one is intended. So Virgil, iEn. IX. 525, begins 
an address to the Muses, ( Vos O Calliope,' taking her to repre- 
sent all the rest. 

502. Cf. Dargo I. 304, 311, ' Cha dean e'ighe cbmhraig a 
dhusgadh.' 

506. Daol, ' the beetle,' as it flies round, is supposed to hum 
the song of triumph over the fallen hero (Smith's paraphrase). 

516. The two similes of the eagle's flight and of the whirlwind 
are combined by the latter being supposed to blow under the 
eagle's wings. 

523. Cf. ' Ulainn nan teud,' Dargo I. 87 ; ' Mhalmhina nan 
teud,' Catli-loda I. 8. ^j 

525. For the meaning of innis see on 1. 89. 

546. Lu-chon, See note on 1. 9. The other reading, righ na 
Strumhoin is perhaps to be preferred. 



LORIMER AND GILLIES, PRINTERS, CLYDE STREET, EDINBURGH. 



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